[skidmarq]

Long term dieting at caloric intake below BMR (which is what you are doing) will potentially set you up for metabolic problems in the long run. Dieting isn't a sprint, it is a marathon. Slow and steady wins the race...

Deficits of 5-10% of TDEE are considered on the high end and you are well above that...

If you keep this large deficit up, I can almost guarantee that your 2lb/week stops at some point and you will think that you need to drop calories even lower and then lower and then lower...

[skidmarq]

^ Basically everything you said is wrong.

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by skidmarq

Long term dieting at caloric intake below BMR (which is what you are doing) will potentially set you up for metabolic problems in the long run. Dieting isn't a sprint, it is a marathon. Slow and steady wins the race...

Deficits of 5-10% of TDEE are considered on the high end and you are well above that...

If you keep this large deficit up, I can almost guarantee that your 2lb/week stops at some point and you will think that you need to drop calories even lower and then lower and then lower...

Actually it's happened many times since I've started (I've been at it 8 months so far and I'm far from done). My goal has been 2lbs per week but I cannot say I have achieved that at all times. From around Jan to now it has been slow going maybe a total of around 5lbs in those 3 months. I have started again counting much more accurately and I'm on a 2lbs per week pace again. It will stop, as it has before, and usually I will losen up on the calories. Sometimes even eating a bit more loose for a week or so and starting back up will break me through that plateau.

Even when I've stopped counting for a while I've managed not to gain any real weight back which is my ultimate goal. Counting the calories has made me conscious of what I am eating. Even when I'm not counting I now make better decisions about what I'm eating based on my experience counting calories.

However I guess we will ultimately find out in a year or two.

[RandomHero]

Originally Posted by skidmarq

Long term dieting at caloric intake below BMR (which is what you are doing) will potentially set you up for metabolic problems in the long run. Dieting isn't a sprint, it is a marathon. Slow and steady wins the race...

Deficits of 5-10% of TDEE are considered on the high end and you are well above that...

If you keep this large deficit up, I can almost guarantee that your 2lb/week stops at some point and you will think that you need to drop calories even lower and then lower and then lower...

I colored the parts of your post that I agreed with and disagreed with between red and green (obviously green is good).

Even if your TDEE was 4000 calories, 10% would be a deficit of 200-400 calories. That would mean if you were losing 100% fat and no muscle (essentially impossible) it would take you between 9-18 days to lose 1 pound of fat.

A deficit of arond 500 is very normal and that puts you on a pace to lose 1 pound a week. A deficit of 1000 is harder, but that effectively sets you up to lose 2 pounds a week.

Now I agree that going on a crash diet and eating 1000 calories is very unhealthy for anyone over 200 pounds, but there is a very large difference between 1000 and 1800 calories. 1000 calories of just pure protein and fat would barely be enough to satify your body's requirements. The only results from that point are either entering ketosis or becoming very lethargic. However, those extra 800 calories could easily satisfy your basic protein, fat and carbohydrate requirements.

I somewhat agree with your statement about dieting not being a race, but I disagree with your wording. Dieting itself IS A SPRINT. It is a short term approach to becoming healthier that is eventually sustained by a complete lifestyle change. If it's solely viewed as a diet, you'll eventually fail and gain back all the weight you lost.

Your comments about lowering your caloric intake is one approach, but I personally think that's the ignorant way to lose weight. You are correct that eventually your progress will slow. Your body may become naturally adjusted to the number of calories you are consuming, or it may be as simple as the fact that you have lost enough weight that your body is more efficient.

My approach was to always have a "cheat meal" at least once every week. It was both a reward for my hard work as well as a way to keep my body from adjusting to a low caloric intake.

[RandomHero]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

Actually it's happened many times since I've started (I've been at it 8 months so far and I'm far from done). My goal has been 2lbs per week but I cannot say I have achieved that at all times. From around Jan to now it has been slow going maybe a total of around 5lbs in those 3 months. I have started again counting much more accurately and I'm on a 2lbs per week pace again. It will stop, as it has before, and usually I will losen up on the calories. Sometimes even eating a bit more loose for a week or so and starting back up will break me through that plateau.

Even when I've stopped counting for a while I've managed not to gain any real weight back which is my ultimate goal. Counting the calories has made me conscious of what I am eating. Even when I'm not counting I now make better decisions about what I'm eating based on my experience counting calories.

However I guess we will ultimately find out in a year or two.

It’s completely normal that your progress has slowed. If you think about it, you’re changing one variable (your weight) and keeping another (your caloric intake) the same. When you lose weight your body will become more efficient and need fewer calories to sustain the same level of activity. At 300 pounds you may have needed 4000 calories just to sit on the couch and watch tv. However, at 200 pounds your body may only need 2800 calories to do the same thing.
Your weight is a quantitative measurement to measure your progress but do not consume yourself with it. Do you really believe that your BMI is a good measurement of your progress? I’m an excellent example (in my opinion) of why is completely useless. I went from a BMI of 35.2 down to 30.1 between the two pictures below. According to the BMI I went from “Obese” to “Obese.”

I laugh every time I see those two pictures because they were taken at the exact same place (Margaritaville in Jamaica) just at different times. I was also sucking in in the first picture which is why my chest/ribs look so much bigger in the first picture.

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by mmahany

It’s completely normal that your progress has slowed. If you think about it, you’re changing one variable (your weight) and keeping another (your caloric intake) the same. When you lose weight your body will become more efficient and need fewer calories to sustain the same level of activity. At 300 pounds you may have needed 4000 calories just to sit on the couch and watch tv. However, at 200 pounds your body may only need 2800 calories to do the same thing.
Your weight is a quantitative measurement to measure your progress but do not consume yourself with it. Do you really believe that your BMI is a good measurement of your progress? I’m an excellent example (in my opinion) of why is completely useless. I went from a BMI of 35.2 down to 30.1 between the two pictures below. According to the BMI I went from “Obese” to “Obese.”

I laugh every time I see those two pictures because they were taken at the exact same place (Margaritaville in Jamaica) just at different times. I was also sucking in in the first picture which is why my chest/ribs look so much bigger in the first picture.

Wow man congrats huge difference!!! The way I look at it I'm 30 and been fat all my life and have gotten progressively fatter. My goal is to drop 100lbs by the end of the year, however if I didn't drop a single more pound I'm still 50lbs better off than I was before and I intend to keep it that way. However so far so good still dropping. I've fallen off the wagon a lot, but where as before it would simply be an excuse to quit and go back to eating whatever garbage I felt like, now I just get back on. That's why I don't really give myself "cheat" meals or day because I know I will mess up at some point. When I do I'll consider that my "cheat" and move forward the next day.

I don't know if my plan is perfect, but in 30 years it's the only one that has worked and that I have been able to stick with for more than a couple of weeks.

[954Stealth]

Have you identified the precipitating factors that lead up to you "Cheating"? Do you know what foods or situations or people are enabling you to not diet* and achieve your goal? Once you know these answers, you can work on solutions and better be in control of your owns actions.


* when is say not diet I'm referring to your "fall of the bandwagon" comment.

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by 954Stealth

Have you identified the precipitating factors that lead up to you "Cheating"? Do you know what foods or situations or people are enabling you to not diet* and achieve your goal? Once you know these answers, you can work on solutions and better be in control of your owns actions.


* when is say not diet I'm referring to your "fall of the bandwagon" comment.

For the most part it's social. Family gatherings going out with friends etc. I am very good at sticking to my plan during the week, however once the weekend hits it's much much more difficult.

[stormzusmc]

It's extremely easy to over induldge during the weekend. A 6 pack of beer, few slices or pizza, in one sitting along with other things through the day will put you easily 1000 calories over your maintanence. If you do that Fri/Sat/Sunday, you've just successfully negated everything you did during the week. Being fit is fitness, being lean is proper nutrition. It shouldn't be a diet but more self discipline and knowing your body. Induldge once a week, or if you're going out plan for it earlier in the day. Changes take time and effort. Lift weights to build muscle, eat nutrient dense foods, recover properly, drink water, sleep, know your caloric needs, cardio 3 times a week at least.

[RandomHero]

A lot of this is getting pretty technical so let me attempt to break down everything you need to know in order to meet your goals:

Diet
1 pound a week- means eating 500 calories/day under maintenance. Very easy to do and will maximize muscle retention. Exercise is recommended but not mandatory
2 pounds a week- means eating 1000 calories/day under maintenance. Harder to do and is considered a very aggressive diet. Exercising is mandatory and specifically heavy weight lifting
3 pounds a week- means eating 1500 calories/day under maintenance. Borderline unhealthy and a strict exercise schedule is mandatory with this diet.

Exercise:
Heavy weight lifting- your goal is muscle retention. Cover all muscle groups and not just your upper body. We all want beach muscles (biceps and abs), but your legs contain the largest muscles in your body. Larger muscles need more energy and working them out will increase your metabolism faster than working out small muscles.
Low intensity cardio- your goal is fat loss

Walking, elliptical training, swimming, or other low intensity/long duration cardio exercises are best. Keep your heart rate at around 60-70% of your maximum heart fat. Generally that number should be around the 110-130 bpm range depending on your age.

Good foods:
-Chicken, turkey, fish, and other lean meats
-Broccoli, spinach, lettuce and green leafy vegetables
-Brown rice, Sweet potatoes, and healthy complex carbs (multi-grain stuff)
-Almonds, olive oil, and milk (in moderation)
-Fresh fruit (in moderation)

Things to avoid:
-Salad dressings and marinades
-Cheese (generally)
-High fructose corn syrup and other empty sugars
-White breads (GENERALLY, if it’s white, it’s probably an empty source of carbs)
-Alcohol (if you must, limit yourself to 1-2 times a week)

Supplements- Don’t make the mistake most people make and go to GNC and buy everything in the store. Supplements do exactly what their name suggests- supplement a less than perfect diet. You only need these things if your diet isn’t perfect:
-Protein powder- Make sure it’s lean powder and not weight gainer. It should be as close to 120 calories and 25 grams of protein per serving
-Multi-vitamin- Just get a cheap one. It is good for your overall health
-Fish oil- Good for omega-3’s and sometimes omega-6’s. If you eat fish and almonds, this isn’t necessary
-Creatine- not necessary. Just eat a small piece of red meat. Creatine is good for muscle retention and making your muscles look more food, but you will retain extra water with it. It’s not bad at all, but know that you can retain as much as 1-2 pounds of extra water in your muscles.
-Ephedra/Caffeine/Aspirin (ECA) stack- You may read about this, but DO NOT try this without doing a ton of research first. It has the potential to damage your liver or even kill you if used improperly. Only recommended in advanced weight loss situations and after you’ve done some serious research.

A good starting point:
-2500 calorie diet. After 2 weeks, measure your progress and adjust that number up or down 500 calories. Anything below about 1800 calories is generally unhealthy unless you are under about 150 pounds.
-Try to consume at least 100grams of lean protein a day, and 150 grams is better. It’s very hard to eat “too much” protein
-Keep your carb intake low. Only eat carbs when you need energy. In the morning or before a workout are the best times. Try and match your carbs with your energy level (only eat carbs when you feel lethargic)
-Fat usually what turns into fat- Your body fat is generally stored carbohydrates. Eating healthy fats such as almonds can actually promote weight loss.
-Lift heavy weights 3-4 times a week. Remember to give your body a rest and repair itself.
-Try and exercise for at least 1 hour a day. Your off days from heavy lifting could be walking for an hour or another sort of low intensity training
-Track your progress- The scale is a tool and not the only measurement of your success. Don’t weigh yourself every day (you’ll go insane). Take pictures of yourself in the mirror once a week and measure your arms, chest, neck and waist. You may only drop 1 pound a week, but that’s better than losing 2 pounds/week when half of that is muscle.

[954Stealth]

Good post, mmhaney.

Don't get caught up in the minutae and the fads. Don't worry so much about supplements and macros that you forget to exercise. Don't get sold on fad diets and overly restrictive diets that are neither healthy nor sustainable. Don't focus on scale weight and don't weigh yourself too often! Don't confuse water loss/retention with fat loss or fat gain either!
(lots of don't but with positive results)

keep it simple, focus on the long term (you didn't get fat over night), and keep at it!

[tony20009]

In General:

• 6 small meals a day to prevent your body from wanting to store excess calories as fat
  
• 20-30 minutes of aerobics and/or plyometrics (at the greatest intensity your can healthily handle) to ensure you burn more calories than you consume. I suggest jumping rope and plyohops around an indoor circuit (indoors because you'll look ridiculous doing them, but if you don't' mind that, do them outside).
  
• lifting weights to build additional muscle mass because muscles burn fat. Building your thighs and glutes will get you the most return in this regard as they are the largest muscles.
  
  • Have a lifting partner. This should be someone who will both spot for you as well as push you to fully exhaust your muscles. I use a personal trainer. He designs my routines as well as pushes me to excel, makes sure I always use proper form and develop the right "muscle memory," and the tracks my progress. Many of the routines and suggestions you'll find in various men's fitness magazines are good, but they aren't meant for everyone at every stage in the lifting process. Some are right for beginners, some are right for advanced lifters, and some are for folks in between. If you don't know the difference, seek a trainer first so you don't hurt yourself.
• Full regimen of ab and back exercises -- high reps and little or no added weight -- so that when the fat is finally gone, you'll look amazing rather than just good. High reps and no weight so as not to build mass into your abs lest you look like a power lifter rather than a gymnast.

Diet (the noun, not the verb): for great abs, this matters more than all the others.

• Eat only healthy, high value foods.
• Drink only water (unless you are drinking natural fruit juices with no added sugar -- OJ you squeeze yourself is just fine, for example), and be sure to drink 64 oz (or as close as you can get to it) a day.
• Do not eat cheap carbs such as white rice, white sugar, white potatoes, candy (although, if you have to have one, a candy bar right before or during your workouts won't hurt), any liquids containing high fructose syrup, etc.
• Focus your proteins around fish, chicken and turkey, each prepared in a healthy way: baked, microwaved, broiled, grilled, poached, or roasted, never fried.
• Eat a high quality carb and protein meal 30-45 minutes before any lifting so your muscles have the fuel they need to do the lifting. I do oatmeal with dried fruit and brown sugar, along with a small (3-4 oz) piece of microwaved salmon

Other:

• Learn to use a microwave oven. For anything that doesn't need to be browned, the m-wave is great. Try cooking a 6-8 oz piece of salmon (ideally it's relatively even in thickness throughout) at 50% power for 4-5 minutes. (assumes a 1000 watt m-wave oven -- less time for more watts and more time for fewer watts. Don't change the power level.) You can zap it in additional 30 second increments at 50% power if it needs more cooking, but eventually you'll find the right cooking time. Apply the same principle to anything else you want to cook in the microwave oven. I tend to do fish and seafood in it most often because they never really need to be browned, they just need heat. Other things I find work well in the m-wave are scallops, other fish, chicken, veggies, and bacon, though until you reach your goal, you should probably not eat bacon.

• About the things that taste great but that you shouldn't eat, such as butter and bacon. You don't have to give them up. You just have to be aware of how much fat you are consuming if/when you eat them. If you aren't going to be carefully counting/measuring your caloric intake, just don't eat stuff like that, and you'll be fine. However, recognizing that a healthy diet needs to have fat in it, there's nothing wrong with letting that fat come from butter and bacon.
  
  For example, if your nutritionist has determined that two tablespoons of fat is your ideal fat intake per day, then if you are careful about your consumption, you can let those two tablespoons come from butter. Let's say you had oatmeal for breakfast, fresh fruit for mid morning snack, rabbit food for lunch, more fruit and some nuts for midday snack, and now it's time for dinner. You've been essentially fat free (except for the nuts, and assuming your portion sizes were appropriate) all day, so you can enjoy some bacon sprinkled on your halibut for dinner and maybe even put a pat of butter on your steamed broccoli. Or you may opt to have a fruit and cheese plate for dessert.
  
  The trick to using bacon, which is an amazingly good flavoring item, regardless of what kind of animal it comes from, is to cook it and drain the fat from it, and pat it dry with a paper towel before you mix it in with whatever you are eating. Once you've cooked and drained and dried it, bacon is then mostly protein rather than mostly fat, but don't be deluded, there's still more fat there than in an equivalent portion of fish or chicken, it's just that the ratio has shifted from 80% fat/20% protein to 60% protein to 40% fat, which is why it still makes a good flavor enhancer. After all, among meats, the flavor is in the fat. (Remember, bacon is the belly section of an animal. We most often think of it as coming from a pig, but cows, sheep, goats, rabbits, etc. all have bellies, and thus you can use the bacon from any of these animals. And unlike you, dear OP, they aren't doing all this so they can have a six pack, so there's fat on their bellies.)

• Learn how to cook with some vegetarian, protein alternatives. My favorite is TVP (textured vegetable protein) and below is my favorite recipe using it. I use it as a ground beef replacement. I reconstitute it in either beef or mushroom broth and use it in my spaghetti sauce.

Start with two to three jars your favorite brand of jarred sauce, add one large, fresh, diced/chopped onion (if you like bites of onion, chop, if you just want the flavor depth, dice, but don't leave it out), two stalks of thinly sliced celery, bell pepper, tomatoes, salt, brown sugar, 1 clove/quart, hot peppers (use less if you don't like spicy, use more if you do, but don't leave them out altogether), thyme, rosemary, oregano, (I use fresh, dried will work just fine also), 1 cup or so of sliced mushrooms (any kind will do so long as they aren't the white button ones, unless you just love those white button ones, in which case use them). Add in the reconstituted TVP, stir to combine everything well, and simmer on low for 1.5 hours at least. I tend to let it go for about 1 hour covered and then partially covered for 1.5 hours or so to let the excess water evaporate. I add garlic also, but as I like the flavor of garlic, I add it about 15 minutes before I'm ready to stop simmering. If you like just a hint of garlic, add it earlier, or even at the very start, but note that the earlier you add it, the more of it you'll need in order to get any flavor of garlic. If I'm adding it at the start of cooking, I add about 5 or 6 cloves. If I'm doing it at the end, 2 cloves. Diced in either case.

(If you want to reduce the simmering time, you don't have to reconstitute the TVP. But reconstituting it gives you an opportunity to add another layer of flavor to the dish. But the fact remains that your sauce will have more than enough water in it to reconstitute the TVP without you doing so in advance.)

• Red meats: if you are going to eat red meat -- beef, lamb/goat, duck, etc. -- you have to stick with the lean cuts. Unfortunately, the lean cuts aren't often the most tasty using the cooking techniques that minimize the fat consumption. Braising is the best technique for cooking the leanest cuts because those cuts are usually the toughest parts of the animal. Braising is a low and slow cooking method and it produces amazingly good tasting food from very inexpensive cuts of meat. Unfortunately, when you braise, you can't separate the fat from the lean, so it's all in there. What this means is that you end up having to eat expensive cuts when you are going for red meat, typically the tenderloin and breast areas. If you can afford it, no problem; have a Filet Mignon every once in a while. If the price is somewhat prohibitive, you'll have to braise but eat one portion and freeze the rest in single serving packages so you can have a bit of it every couple to three weeks. (Believe me, eating right costs a good deal more than not eating right, I don't know why, it makes no sense seeing as healthy food has less processing, fewer additives, etc.)
  
  
• Shopping for food: You are lucky here insomuch as Spring is in full swing. Find local farms where you can buy your foods fresh. Learn to pickle, freeze and can foods so you'll have high quality, high flavor ingredients come Winter. Pickling is an especially useful skill for it lets you make all sorts of relishes that are great on any meat/fish/poultry you decide to cook, as well as being a fine supplement to veggies.
  
  
• Zest is best: The zest of any citrus makes a great flavor additive to meat, fish, poultry and veggies, while adding nothing in the way of fat or sugar. So if you eat an orange, don't toss the rind away. Zest it over your poached flounder add it to your brown and wild rice mix. Or sprinkle it onto your PB&J sandwich. Or mix it with a teaspoon of melted dark chocolate into which you'll dip your freshly picked strawberries.

Well, that's enough for now. That should get you started. If nothing else, I hope you've gleaned that discipline is also something you need if you want a washboard to wear as well as to have in the laundry room.

[sk8board511]

Havent posted back in here for a while but have checking in whenever someone posts, and i thank all of you for your replies and hope this has also helped out many other people than just myself. ive actually dropped most of the weight i wanted too minus a few pounds still sitting around but those should go away by toning.

[druu]

Originally Posted by sk8board511

Havent posted back in here for a while but have checking in whenever someone posts, and i thank all of you for your replies and hope this has also helped out many other people than just myself. ive actually dropped most of the weight i wanted too minus a few pounds still sitting around but those should go away by toning.

congrats, good to know that your progress was made!

[STi_traitor]

Originally Posted by Silverstone

INSANITY !!!!

+1

[sk8board511]

Originally Posted by mmahany

It’s completely normal that your progress has slowed. If you think about it, you’re changing one variable (your weight) and keeping another (your caloric intake) the same. When you lose weight your body will become more efficient and need fewer calories to sustain the same level of activity. At 300 pounds you may have needed 4000 calories just to sit on the couch and watch tv. However, at 200 pounds your body may only need 2800 calories to do the same thing.
Your weight is a quantitative measurement to measure your progress but do not consume yourself with it. Do you really believe that your BMI is a good measurement of your progress? I’m an excellent example (in my opinion) of why is completely useless. I went from a BMI of 35.2 down to 30.1 between the two pictures below. According to the BMI I went from “Obese” to “Obese.”

I laugh every time I see those two pictures because they were taken at the exact same place (Margaritaville in Jamaica) just at different times. I was also sucking in in the first picture which is why my chest/ribs look so much bigger in the first picture.

No homo that's how i want to look when i'm finished

[Adam123]

try to spread your diet, In my situation, Our human body can only digest so much and the rest will just be stored, human body to carry on normal functions....

[pootytang]

I recently bought a cyclocross bike and have really enjoyed going for about a 1.25 hr hard ride after work. Being in school for as long as I was, it's insane how expensive gyms are, also with 1 yr commitments. I've thought about planet fitness, but some aspects turn me off like "no grunt zone". Any recommendations for home gym type stuff? I'm thinking about getting some dumbbells - 25lb set, 35lb set and 15lb set to cover most upper body muscle groups with a bench, should run me about $200-300 depending on the bench, but will be convenient after riding.

Diet wise I've been shopping mostly at costco for easy things like turkey burgers, veggies and some lunch things. Been trying to eat half a bagel (probably bad carbs) with cream cheese and salmon + OJ in the morning and eat a bunch of oranges/apples throughout the day in addition to a good lunch. I'm pretty lazy in the kitchen and tired after rides, so the meals have been pretty bland. I'm absolutely addicted to La Croix sparkling water, and can't really stand soda or any drink with sugar besides OJ.

So far I've lost about 10 pounds over 6 weeks, but some camping trips and other obligations have been getting in the way of the routine. I tried using phone apps to track things but it just gets too tedious. I appreciate the advice here and am open to any suggestions.

I've told myself that once I get to around 180 I'll buy some HRE's (weighed in at 202 this morning), so at least I've got that going for me

[manutdas11]

Originally Posted by mmahany

A lot of this is getting pretty technical so let me attempt to break down everything you need to know in order to meet your goals:

Diet
1 pound a week- means eating 500 calories/day under maintenance. Very easy to do and will maximize muscle retention. Exercise is recommended but not mandatory
2 pounds a week- means eating 1000 calories/day under maintenance. Harder to do and is considered a very aggressive diet. Exercising is mandatory and specifically heavy weight lifting
3 pounds a week- means eating 1500 calories/day under maintenance. Borderline unhealthy and a strict exercise schedule is mandatory with this diet.

Exercise:
Heavy weight lifting- your goal is muscle retention. Cover all muscle groups and not just your upper body. We all want beach muscles (biceps and abs), but your legs contain the largest muscles in your body. Larger muscles need more energy and working them out will increase your metabolism faster than working out small muscles.
Low intensity cardio- your goal is fat loss

Walking, elliptical training, swimming, or other low intensity/long duration cardio exercises are best. Keep your heart rate at around 60-70% of your maximum heart fat. Generally that number should be around the 110-130 bpm range depending on your age.

Good foods:
-Chicken, turkey, fish, and other lean meats
-Broccoli, spinach, lettuce and green leafy vegetables
-Brown rice, Sweet potatoes, and healthy complex carbs (multi-grain stuff)
-Almonds, olive oil, and milk (in moderation)
-Fresh fruit (in moderation)

Things to avoid:
-Salad dressings and marinades
-Cheese (generally)
-High fructose corn syrup and other empty sugars
-White breads (GENERALLY, if it’s white, it’s probably an empty source of carbs)
-Alcohol (if you must, limit yourself to 1-2 times a week)

Supplements- Don’t make the mistake most people make and go to GNC and buy everything in the store. Supplements do exactly what their name suggests- supplement a less than perfect diet. You only need these things if your diet isn’t perfect:
-Protein powder- Make sure it’s lean powder and not weight gainer. It should be as close to 120 calories and 25 grams of protein per serving
-Multi-vitamin- Just get a cheap one. It is good for your overall health
-Fish oil- Good for omega-3’s and sometimes omega-6’s. If you eat fish and almonds, this isn’t necessary
-Creatine- not necessary. Just eat a small piece of red meat. Creatine is good for muscle retention and making your muscles look more food, but you will retain extra water with it. It’s not bad at all, but know that you can retain as much as 1-2 pounds of extra water in your muscles.
-Ephedra/Caffeine/Aspirin (ECA) stack- You may read about this, but DO NOT try this without doing a ton of research first. It has the potential to damage your liver or even kill you if used improperly. Only recommended in advanced weight loss situations and after you’ve done some serious research.

A good starting point:
-2500 calorie diet. After 2 weeks, measure your progress and adjust that number up or down 500 calories. Anything below about 1800 calories is generally unhealthy unless you are under about 150 pounds.
-Try to consume at least 100grams of lean protein a day, and 150 grams is better. It’s very hard to eat “too much” protein
-Keep your carb intake low. Only eat carbs when you need energy. In the morning or before a workout are the best times. Try and match your carbs with your energy level (only eat carbs when you feel lethargic)
-Fat usually what turns into fat- Your body fat is generally stored carbohydrates. Eating healthy fats such as almonds can actually promote weight loss.
-Lift heavy weights 3-4 times a week. Remember to give your body a rest and repair itself.
-Try and exercise for at least 1 hour a day. Your off days from heavy lifting could be walking for an hour or another sort of low intensity training
-Track your progress- The scale is a tool and not the only measurement of your success. Don’t weigh yourself every day (you’ll go insane). Take pictures of yourself in the mirror once a week and measure your arms, chest, neck and waist. You may only drop 1 pound a week, but that’s better than losing 2 pounds/week when half of that is muscle.

A lot of great points! Thanks for the input!

[ATTN]

Some good advice and some broscience stuff giving in this thread, and I’d like to share mine.

Losing weight is a fairly simple mathematical process, but executing it requires hard work, understanding and dedication that's the hard part.

My first passion is fitness, nutrition and bodybuilding, I always like to help others achieve their goals.

Losing fat around your stomach area is the last place where you will lose unwanted fat. Think of it this, your mid section of your body is the centre gravity of your body. When you start to lose weight you will notice you will start to lose weight from your head to down and from your toes up. There is no way around this but to diet.

To lose weight and maintain as much muscle as possible you need to be on a calorie deficit, meaning below a calorie maintenance. How do I work out what my calorie deficit is?

Simple! I like to use the Harris Benedict formula there are many formulas to work this out but I like to use this, a lot has recommended it from bodybuilding.com.

Example

Age - 30
Weight - 160lbs 72.5kgs
Height - 5’9
Bodyfat – 15%

We need to work out BMR(Basal Metabolic Rate) = 1735

(If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55

BMR 1735 x 1.55 = 2689.

Now if you want to lose weight you should minus 500 (its debatable how much but for argument sake we will leave it at 500) calories from 2689 = 2189

You should consume 2189 per day to lose weight.

And if you want to take it to another level, to get some decent abs appearing imo you need to be below 10% bf. So, 16% bf – 10 = 7% so you need to lose 7% to reach that goal.

72.5kgs – 7% = 5kg / 0.5 = 10. It would take you about 10 weeks if you were to lose 0.5kgs a week.

A few other factors your should consider when dieting, you should try and hit 1g of fat per kilo, 1g of protein per pound, carbs should be enough to hit your daily calorie intake. Fibre is also important some call this a mirconutrient but I consider this just as important as my marconutrients. About 10g of fibre per 1000 calories. As long as you do that and incorporate training, lifting you’re bound to lose weight.

In terms of what foods to eat, this is also debateable clean foods vs dirty foods.

I have the best of both worlds, if you understand your macronutrients you can eat whatever you want in moderation (IIFYM I love and swear by this, works fo rme). I’m cutting shredded/leaning up for a Vegas trip. Everyday I have Golden Crumpets with Nutella, I count the calories and macros and incorporate this into my daily calorie intake and macronutrients and I am still losing weight. I don’t have a fast metabolism I just know how the body works. I get all my food nutrient information from calorieking.com it’s a great source of information and has almost every food in there a human can eat.

There is no right or wrong when it comes to clean foods vs dirty foods, its personal preference. But if I can diet and lose weight getting pizzas, maccas, chocolate, ice cream. I know what I’d prefer to do. But that is up to you.

Also, refeed. Refeed is high carb day, eat much carbs as you want unlimited, little to no fats and protein for one day. This is important with someone with lower bodyfat%, his helps raise Leptin, after a calorie deficit for so long you don’t want to damage your metabolic rate. This is why refeed is important and is usually done once a week. But this is another story to tell.

Hope this helps

And good luck with your goals mate.

[RandomHero]

Originally Posted by ATTN

Simple! I like to use the Harris Benedict formula there are many formulas to work this out but I like to use this, a lot has recommended it from bodybuilding.com.
72.5kgs – 7% = 5kg / 0.5 = 10. It would take you about 10 weeks if you were to lose 0.5kgs a week.

A few other factors your should consider when dieting, you should try and hit 1g of fat per kilo, 1g of protein per pound, carbs should be enough to hit your daily calorie intake.

Also, refeed. Refeed is high carb day, eat much carbs as you want unlimited, little to no fats and protein for one day. This is important with someone with lower bodyfat%, his helps raise Leptin, after a calorie deficit for so long you don’t want to damage your metabolic rate. This is why refeed is important and is usually done once a week. But this is another story to tell.

I agree with 99% of everything you said so know that my comments are meant to either supplement what you said, or offer a slight difference in opinion. Again, excellent advice, but “there’s more than one way to skin a cat.”
1) The Harris Benedict formula is an excellent way to estimate your caloric needs and intake levels. While it is true that everyone’s metabolism is different, one of the biggest excuses I hear is “I don’t eat that much, but I still get fat.” Estimate your caloric needs using the HB formula and then ADJUST them based on your progress. If you truly do have a slower metabolism then it sucks to be you, but it’s not an excuse…you just have to eat less.

2) Don't forget to account for muscle and food loss during a cutting phase. It's impossible for your body to only shed weight from stored fat. You'll still lose some muscle even with a perfect diet. The key is to minimize the loss of lean body mass.

3)A high protein intake is extremely important for growing or retaining muscle. However, I think 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass is more than sufficient.

For example: at 200lbs with 20% body fat you’d have 160lbs of lean body mass.

You’d want to consume at least 160g of protein. Eating 1g per pound of total weight is certainly not a bad thing, but it’s excessive in regards to the actual science of it.

4)Refeeds are extremely important both for keeping your metabolism high and for you general sanity. Like he mentioned when you get down to a lower body fat percentage it becomes extremely hard to keep losing the fat. Refeeds help keep that issue to a minimum

Originally Posted by MarkHerry

Its really a fantastic thread. Well for losing lower stomach fat exercise and diet both are important. Running,jogging,cycling and yoga are best exercises to loss lower stomach fat. In food fruits and vegetables are best food for reducing lower stomach fat. Try to drink more water and drink green tea daily.

Two of your sentences were true: Yes, this is a fantastic thread. Yes, exercise and dieting is important.

Other than that, everything else you said was only partially true or just crap. That makes me sound like an asshole, but the biggest thing I hate on internet forums is when people give bad advice.

Exercise is very important for GENERAL HEALTH. However, the topic is about fat loss. Those are two completely different subjects. The cardiovascular exercises you mentioned are good for increasing your level of health, but it is far from the most efficient method for losing fat. In fact, it’s well documented and proven that WALKING is one of the best cardio exercises you can do for losing fat. When your heart rate elevates past a certain level your body will begin resorting to faster energy sources such as carbohydrates. While it is true that jogging will burn more calories/hour than walking, the majority of those extra calories are carbs. Simply put, in strict regards to fat loss, jogging and other similar exercises are less efficient.

To take that a step further, the best overall approach to improving your physical image is heavy weight lifting. You may burn fewer calories lifting weights for an hour than jogging at a steady pace, but your metabolism will stay elevated much longer after weight lifting. Much of the reasoning is that your body must work harder to repair your muscles. There are other factors, but that is the major contributing factor. With cardiovascular activity, your body adjusts back to baseline much faster. Simply put, heavy weight lifting will help you retain muscle, help you lose fat, and will keep your metabolism elevated much longer.

Your last two sentences about what to eat are just fluff. Green vegetables are obviously very good for you. They are also low in calories and high in fiber and essential vitamins. That’s a good recipe for healthy weight loss .
A small intake of fruits or simple carbohydrates are good for you. However, fruits (in general) are much more calorie dense then vegetables. I would categorize fruit as a “healthy” food rather than a “weight loss” food. There’s very little reason to eat fruit. My advice would be to only consume a small quantity of fruits and shoot for those with a low glycemic index. There is also plenty of evidence to suggest that you don’t need to consume fruits AT ALL. Simply put, don’t fill your diet with fruits. Eat a small bit for health benefits, but they’re certainly not essential.

The last sentence about water and green tea is fluff. “Drink more water” is not quantifiable advice. Drinking a gallon of water per day is a good rule of thumb for most men. However, that’s very general advice. If you sweat a great deal, then you may want to up that. If you don’t have a lot of lean mass then it may make sense to lower that figure. I am very active and during the summer months I NEED about 1.5 gallons. I generally try to consume about 2 gallons a day. Green tea is high in antioxidants which again is good for health and there are some weight loss advantages, but it certainly wouldn’t be anywhere near the top of my list of weight loss essentials.

Again, I probably sound like a dick, but you gave very generic advice that in some cases was flat out untrue. On the internet, we’re all just user names and post counts. There is very little credibility beyond that. You may think you’re helping, but in reality, your post contributes nothing beneficial to this thread.

[John Tanglewood]

This thread has become my bible. What are your guys credentials? I very much appreciate the guidance!