Weightloss Gurus.

[eb_5litre]

Hi all, are there any health/weightloss/fitness gurus here?

Heres the deal, At the beginning of the year I promised myself I would lose atleast 40kg... i'm currently about 50kg over ideal weight.

Well 4 weeks ago I drastically changed my diet..... no flavoured milk or soft drink etc, no pasta, limited rice, limited potato, switched to multigrain bread, no butter/margarine, healthy cereal for breakfast, no eating after 8pm etc etc.
I started walking 4km every second night and I drink between 2 & 4 litres of water per day (ya get used to it).

To date I have lost 9kg, 4cm off the chest, 6cm off the stomach and 4cm off the waist.

The problem is that the last couple of times I went walking I've been struggling a bit, not puffing or short of air or anything, but getting weak in the legs and slightly blurry vision.
I never go hungry and always have 3 meals a day and obviously plenty of water. I also take multi vitamins.

Should I be concerned or would this be considered normal for what i'm doing with diet etc ??

Details: I'm 30yrs old, extremely unfit re: lazy, and have a genetic condition rendering me unable to sweat...... I have sweat glands in my hands and feet but thats it... everywhere else completely dry no matter what the conditions. Which is why I go walking at night. (called Ectodermal Displaysia if interested)

If the walking is causing me harm is there something else I can be doing which is more suitable?

[Bucket]

Firstly, congratulations on making the decision to do something about your health.
You will have a bit of a hard time getting started...When i Push myself to hard running, sometimes I dry reach...it aint nice...I had shin splints last year when I went from No running to running up Hill 3Km's
Give yourself time to adapt...take it slow. Your body will ache and your Heart is probably getting some much needed work.
Keep it up with something like this.
Get an Orbital Tread Mill...It's Low impact and the equivalent to riding a bike standing up and also using your arms to push. Cardiovascular work is the key to losing weight. Weights come later when you want to tone your slimmer self up.


Hot chick not included

The amount of water you drink concerns me...1 to 2 Litres per day is plenty...of course more is better if you are working out.
Your Diet is good...I would look at Low GI Options as you still need a good amount of Carbs through the day like sweet potato and Basmati Rice. Whole grain/meal bread is awesome.
Maybe you should consult your GP or a Dietitian to formulate a Diet that will accommodate your needs.

[eb_5litre]

Cool thanks for the info.

Concerning the water, I need to drink more in Summer or hot days due to me not sweating and overheating. I always drink atleast 2 litres but sometimes 4.
I used a heart rate monitor the first time I went walking, average was 131 and peaked at 162, i'll use it again soon to monitor differences.
I really only concern myself with calories and keep under 1200 per day.

I dont run due to arthritis in the right ankle (old fracture) but thats not to say I wont when theres not so much weight being placed on it.

[fiery]

I would seriously consider seeing a doctor and mentioning everything to them and just have a really good general check up.

Most places that offer diet information, support etc all generally tell you to have a medical check up before starting any exercise or dieting.
This is so that any changes can be noted and monitored successfully.

Strain on your body can happen in mysterious ways and its far greater to be in contact with a medical professional during your weight loss time especially.

Well done on the loss so far and well done on making the decision and making it happen.

Good luck with the continuing weight loss and from memory there is a thread here on the forum (bar area I think) to do with support and that with weight loss. That might help you or maybe the people within that thread would be a good source of information.

[eb_5litre]

Yeah I spose I should go see the doc, I did get my blood pressure done about 2 months ago and it was normal.
The only other thing I can think of is that around xmas 05 I was diagnosed with Glandular Fever..... wouldve thought it'd be gone by now though.

[Night Runner]

I'm not over weight or by any means a guru but one thing I have noticed is my Sister and her husband shred kilos, like 10-12kgs in 5-6 weeks using the Jenny Craig book plus a litte exercise.

That points system rocks. You get like 21 points depending on your size, a big mac is worth say 8 points, water 0, slice of bread 1 etc.....you can still eat what you want as long as you stay within your points for that day. You can add points over to the next day.....I tells ya, it works.


For me, I eat everything - In moderation. Stop when you're full. Eating extra is like taking your car to red line, in most cases it's a waste, you don't gain energy (most cars make their peak hp well below red line)......just wastes your engine aka health. :

[JBomb3000]

First of all well done on getting out there and deciding to do something about your weight. I recently lost 69 kg's over a year and have been maintaining it for about 3 months now. I used the weight watchers program which is what i asume TS50 is talking about as i thought they were the only one with a point system??? But yeah What your doing diet wise sounds good just watch your serving sizes on your breakfast cereal as they can be quiet deceptive, don't be concerned with the amount of water your drinking the more the better. i can easily go through 4 - 5 l a day as well. As far as the exercise when i first started i was very unfit and started of just walking, then as i lost weight over time i was able to job for a little bit then walk, the jog a bit longer until i now run for 7 - 10 km when I go for a run. I think i have experienced something similar to what your talking about when i was jogging and took it as a sign my body was telling me i was overdoing it. I was doing 2, 7 km runs a day at the time. I backed of and it stopped happening. I would go a see a doctor just to be on the safe side, also wouldn't hurt to get a complete check up any way it will give you a good comparison base for later on down the track as you loose the weight. So good luck with it, stay motivated and remember YOU CAN DO IT.

[dan.76]

get a comlete check up from your gp, and tell them whats going on. at the very least you will have a record of how much you have improved to feel proud of.

[RSgerry]

Well done on losing weight. You have made a great start. The light headed symptom COULD be down to the fact that your heart may be struggling to get the blood to your brain. This will come as your fitness improves. However, as others have said, see a doctor first. Good luck.

[bonk182]

Yes, congratulations on the weightloss program and your progress. Youll find at the end of it, a healthy lifestyle will be a fantastic way of living and you will get so much more out of life. Firstly, lets talk about your calorie intake - 1200, is pretty low for someone what is just moving into exercise. remember you simply cant have a calorie/kilojoule deficit too high. in otherwords, dont stress your body out by now having enough energy, it will have an extremely hard time trying to metabolize the fat that it has never had to worry about before. Depending on size and height, an average man would use approximately 10,000 kilojoules a day at rest. which is equivalent to about 2350 calories-ish. your intake is about 1200, plus the calories your burning doing your walks at night - is putting your body in quite a harsh deficit.

I usually go to the gym 3 times a week - monday, wednesday, friday, for about an hour to an hour and a half, and cardio on tuesday, thursday and saturdays, which is usually a 1.5km swim (under 30mins) or a 5km run (under 20mins). but i do a small carbo load before i attempt each. if you can try and walk everyday, or if you get sore legs - because i assume you walk on the road/bitumen then try along the beach, or park. I have troubles with my knees on occasions and did suffer from shin splints for a little while during football season, which i why i started to swim. swimming is fantastic low impact exercise, just try a couple of hundred meters to begin with.

Waterwise, because you cannot sweat - do you urinate alot more? If so, alot of that water is probably going straight out of you and should not impact your performance at all. Im not familiar with your condition so im not going to comment definitely. But i would assume that your water intake is doing more good than it would bad.

So try increase the amount you eat (maybe a few slices of bread or a biut of rice) a few hours before you exercise, and move your walks down to the beach or park, away from the bitumen. and remember its a slow process - dont rush your body, or you wont be able to maintain your program, keep your deficit shallow.

Oh, and by the way - Goodluck

James

[GK]

Great work on the current weight loss.

Just take the walking easy. Because you can't sweat much, you could be overheating when walking. I'm not a doctor or anything, but I know that when I have a shower in summer and it's a little too hot, especially after working outside, I feel a little faint.

I agree with the previous advice about consulting your doctor. Find one that is supporting and see him/her once a month. Get them to measure you and keep track of your progress.

That may be a another great motivating factor, clearly you are motivated and have already done so well.

Maybe cut down the length of the walk by a km and see if that helps. You can always work up to the 4km distance again.

Keep up the great work, all the best.

GK

[loxxr6]

Depending on size and height, an average man would use approximately 10,000 kilojoules a day at rest. which is equivalent to about 2350 calories-ish. your intake is about 1200, plus the calories your burning doing your walks at night - is putting your body in quite a harsh deficit

Definately. 1200 calories a day sounds like hardly anything. Plus factor in the fact that you're burning energy too.

As a comparison, I (was) about 20kg's over my ideal weight (now only 10kg) and my calorie limit for the day is 1900. I found this site here with it's online food calculator, recipes and info really good www.calorieking.com.au

There's also a sticky thread in the bar section about weight loss too. Check that out.

The problem is that the last couple of times I went walking I've been struggling a bit, not puffing or short of air or anything, but getting weak in the legs and slightly blurry vision.

This could be your body not used to taking in all the fresh air you're getting into you (lungs working harder from the exercise), but as I have been advised in the past, if you're concerned see a doctor for a professional opinion.

[eb_5litre]

Ok cool, excellent advice thanks.

My usual diet is:

Brekky - 3/4 cup of Just Right with Lite White milk.
Lunch - Salad in a bowl, ham/salad s/wich on multigrain (or chicken/salad).
Dinner - Steak or Chicken Schnitzel and salad (sometimes stir fry).

Every 3 weeks or so i'll have a splurge like having chips with my meat or maybe even KFC or something.

I do get hot when i'm walking obviously due to limited sweat glands so i'll have a shower immediately after walking.
I still feel really good when i'm walking and its getting easier everytime I do it, its just those couple of things that were a bit worrying.

I might change my routine to a 30mins walk every night instead.

Thanks guys.

[big_pete]

ive been trying to lose weight lately aswell, and have lost a decent amount (havent weighed myself though, but ive dropped atleast a shirt size.
and ive found that doing weight training 3 times a week really helps me, especially if you used to feel 'fat and lazy' so to speak.

you can see and feel the results and building up muscle helps burn more fat/calories aswell.
thats my tip anyways

[NC_GHIA]

Originally Posted by eb_5litre

Ok cool, excellent advice thanks.

My usual diet is:

Brekky - 3/4 cup of Just Right with Lite White milk.
Lunch - Salad in a bowl, ham/salad s/wich on multigrain (or chicken/salad).
Dinner - Steak or Chicken Schnitzel and salad (sometimes stir fry).

Every 3 weeks or so i'll have a splurge like having chips with my meat or maybe even KFC or something.

I do get hot when i'm walking obviously due to limited sweat glands so i'll have a shower immediately after walking.
I still feel really good when i'm walking and its getting easier everytime I do it, its just those couple of things that were a bit worrying.

I might change my routine to a 30mins walk every night instead.

Thanks guys.

Try to walk for 45mins and that is no more otherwise you go into muscle gain stage(like taking the 4pot out of a mini and dropping a 440 in there)
No less other wise you don't loose the wieght as much and no more cause you won't loose any... Don't eat within 2 hours of walking walk at a constant speed (don't try and kill you self) do what ever speed you can keep up for 45mins then eventually you will get quicker and then sometime you will be able to run home on the last 5mins of your walk...
trust me I did this with the mum-inlaw(something to do) Exept we did it early in the morning (4-6) is the best time and you don't eat or drink anything befor you go...


but good to here that you are giving it ago...(I am very thin and never had to worry about anything like this..)But good onya mate I admire your efforts...

[Martyvan]

First on all, congrats on having a go, its the most difficult thing to get the motivation to have a go.

It sounds like you guys are leading him in the right direction, but i have lost about 20kg in the last 15 months or so, and did so, by going cold turkey cutting carbs out after lunch. No Breads/Pasta/potato after lunch for me, continuned my previous exercise routine, and everything just fell into place. Before lunch it open season on anything i felt like eating, and i did.

After a while, i realised that having a biggish pasta meal for lunch was the best bet. and then having a steak sandwich for dinner on wholemeal bread.

I have only 10kg to go, until i hit my school fighting weight, and I will share with you, the last 10 is going to be the hardest, as i need to up the cardio activity side of things.... dont need any more muscle... lol

Best of luck to you.

Cheers
Marty

[nobbystang]

Awesome effort, glad to hear your dropping weight and sticking to it. Definately would get a gp or dietitian to check you're getting the right amount of nutrients out of your diet. I've downloaded calorie king as well and found its alot of work but once setup, can be a very beneficial tool. Was surprised just how much fat and little protein was in my diet!!

I found this on the Biggest Loser website, you might find the diet interesting to compare to what you're eating.

[XR8GRL]

Originally Posted by eb_5litre

Cool thanks for the info.

Concerning the water, I need to drink more in Summer or hot days due to me not sweating and overheating. I always drink atleast 2 litres but sometimes 4.
I used a heart rate monitor the first time I went walking, average was 131 and peaked at 162, i'll use it again soon to monitor differences.
I really only concern myself with calories and keep under 1200 per day.

I dont run due to arthritis in the right ankle (old fracture) but thats not to say I wont when theres not so much weight being placed on it.

Drinking too much water sometimes does more harm than good, ie affecting your kidneys.

Have you checked or asked what your calories intake should be? Maybe you might be needing to have more due to your height and weight.

If your concerned about blurry vision and such, maybe you should get checked out just to be safe.

I'm no expert but I'll tell you what I did...

Acouple of years ago I myself lost about 40kgs. I was (still am) a lazy person. I based it around the Weight Watchers Points system. Started off walking 30 minutes a day, then ended up doing 30 mins twice a day. 3 main meals, 2 snacks during the day and a desert after dinner, not eating after 7-7:30pm. Sticking to low fat foods, but also watching the sugar. Drinking about 2lts of water per day and switching to Pepsi Max for a soft drink, I also cut out marg and butter. Every now and again having a treat, I don't believe in cutting everything out, all in moderation. I didn't feel hungry, nor did it feel like a diet.

I wish you all the best.

[Kryton]

my weight loss plan is as follows:
eat what you want....get up and move.
simple really.
a couple of years ago i started to play golf, i liked it so much i bought a club membership at the local Uni. ($130 a year...cant complain).
every day i went and played golf by myself, the full 18 holes. 3 months i did this...every day of the week.
at the end of the second month i could do the full 18 holes in 1 hour without cheating, thats without even straining myself. hit the ball and walk to where it landed, hit it again and continue on. no full bore pace, just a casual walk (4km of it after 18 holes).
at the end of the 3 months i weighed myself, i had lost 25kg and was getting really good at golf as well.
i ate what ever i wanted, it doesnt matter. you dont need to be a rabbit or eat horse bread.
i stopped drinking and walked, thats all there was to it.

[Creampuff]

Keep up the good work eB, I joined Terry Ferguson Meal Replacement shakes, I love them. I have 2 shakes to replace two meals, 2 chicken thighs(grilled) and a salad everyday.In 18 months I have lost 22 kilos(i want to lose another 10). Heaps of people at work are doing it....and it has results, I am down 3 shirt sizes and 3 short sizes....give it a go!

[Tribal]

Just what I was going to say davway - get up and move. Had the same problem at the start of last year - around 20kg overweight drinking heaps of coke & bourbon, eating take-away 2 out of 5 nights and only getting bigger. So I decided to throw myself at martials arts - good way to meet new people and with new friends a good incentive to keep going back. A year later and the weight is all gone, and I'm feeling fitter than I ever have... the trick is to just keep moving.

All the best EB

[Scott]

Well done mate, good to get up and moving! I am by no means a Dr but your light head sounds like you are low on sugar. If you have cut it completely, it is possible that you are not producing enough to keep up with the exercise. Used to happen to me at the gym til I figured it out and ate some choccy - my problem was fixed.

Get a check up, lots of good info here but no-one knows your specific needs or potential risks.

[XR8GRL]

Originally Posted by davway

my weight loss plan is as follows:
eat what you want....get up and move.
simple really.

Everyone is different, it's not that simple.

[cuz]

Congrats on getting started, that can sometimes be the hardest step. I lost 21kg in 11 weeks at the start of last year. I went and saw a local dietician , who gave me a eating plan. The great thing was that she made it from foods that i liked and already ate. She just cut the amount of saturated fat intake and made me eat more regular, smaller portions.
I reccommend seeing a dietician, that way you aren't endangering yourself by denying your body the nutrients you need. Everyone is different and your condition might require you to have certain food you might unknownly cut out.
I lost my weight thru diet and exercise. Walking, cycling and some swimming.
All the best, stay in touch here so we can all lend some support.

[Ives]

Here's what I found on Wikipedia. Some of the concepts make sense and worth a try.

Fat loss versus muscle loss
It is important to understand the difference between weight loss and fat loss. Weight loss typically involves the loss of fat, water and muscle. A dieter can lose weight without losing much fat. Ideally, overweight people should seek to lose fat and preserve muscle, since muscle burns more calories than fat. Generally, the more muscle mass one has, the higher one's metabolism is, resulting in more calories being burned, even at rest. Since muscles are more dense than fat, muscle loss results in little loss of physical bulk compared with fat loss. To determine whether weight loss is due to fat, various methods of measuring body fat percentage have been developed.

Muscle loss during weight loss can be restricted by regularly lifting weights (or doing push-ups and other strength-oriented calisthenics) and by maintaining sufficient protein intake. According to the National Academy of Sciences, the Dietary Reference Intake for protein is "0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight for adults."

Those on low-carbohydrate diets, and those doing particularly strenuous exercise, may wish to increase their protein intake which is necessary. However, there may be risks involved. According to the American Heart Association, excessive protein intake may cause liver and kidney problems and may be a risk factor for heart disease [1]. There is no conclusive evidence that moderately high protein diets in healthy individuals are dangerous, however. It has only been shown that these diets are dangerous in individuals who already have kidney and liver problems.

How the body gets rid of fat
All body processes require energy to run properly. When the body is expending more energy than it is taking in (e.g. when exercising), body cells rely on internally stored energy sources, like complex carbohydrates and fats, for energy. The first source the body turns to is glycogen, which is a complex carbohydrate created by the body. When that source is nearly depleted, the body begins lipolysis, the metabolism of fat for energy. In this process, fats, obtained from fat cells, are broken down into glycerol and fatty acids, which can be used to make energy. The primary by-products of metabolism are carbon dioxide and water; carbon dioxide is expelled through the respiratory system.

Fats are also secreted by the sebaceous glands (in the skin).

[Schlimmeh]

Amputation helps...

[Ives]

Originally Posted by Bucket

Hot chick not included

Oh bummer, cos some exercise can be done on the tread-mill and later on her. Value for money.

[Annie1962]

Originally Posted by eb_5litre

Yeah I spose I should go see the doc, I did get my blood pressure done about 2 months ago and it was normal.
The only other thing I can think of is that around xmas 05 I was diagnosed with Glandular Fever..... wouldve thought it'd be gone by now though.

the after effects of glandular fever can take a while to cease... just take it easy for a while and continue doing what you're doing. I had it in 1983 and I still remember for a while afterwards I was weak (and itchy)... remember it affects your liver.

I am doing aquarobics and swim laps of the pool... it's so good for my weight loss! It's very low impact and we use "weights" (actually floating dumbbells and the effort comes from keeping them submerged).

I am obese and can't eat breakfast for the life of me so instead I have an optifast protein shake, these are yuuuuummy .... just add water (200mL) and stir...

For lunch I have extremely healthy items such as lite cream cheese with truss tomatoes, fruit and lots of water. For dinner I'll have chicken breast marinated, veges and fruit...

Skim milk in my coffee, NOOOO sugar and lots of water. I've lost weight too!

If you get hungry, snack on some home made vege soup.. this is what I do.

I use a food processor to blend some cooking tomatoes (I use about 6 fresh tomatoes). Process them, add an onion, parsley etc to the blender... then put in a pot. Add a can of rinsed lentils, some veges steamed prior (pumpkin, sweet potato, broccoli) and cook with some stock powder, pepper etc..

When cooked ,just grab a masher and mash a little. This soup is non fat and extremely healthy. I have a cup if I feel a little hungry.

a good site to join is sparkpeople. It's like myspace but it's solely for weight loss. It's about the best weight loss site around.

go here

http://www.sparkpeople.com

I'm there! :

(forgot to mention... please don't lose weight too quickly.. this can actually have detrimental effects on your heart, making it weaker.. too fast a weight loss causes muscular atrophy... make sure you are doing weights to build muscle whilst losing weight... it's imperative)

[henry_ford]

I have lost 24kg. from 94 down to 70kg in 6 months. The easiest way ever. get Divorced, lol. couldnt eat because of stress initially. then thought i would ride the wave so i kept exercising by going for a run a few times a week for 20 min. dont eat fast food at all now. have not had a soft drink in 5 months. genrally skip dinner just drink a heap or red wine. have a roll for lunch about 10.30am. then a small snack in the afternoon. (if hungry when ****ed i eat tomatoes.. dunno why) yeah seems to work. but i wouldnt recomend it. (also smoke a heap of cigs. they are next to go)

[Powdered Toast Man]

Originally Posted by Bucket

Cardiovascular work is the key to losing weight. Weights come later when you want to tone your slimmer self up.

I have to disagree with the second part of that sentence. Muscles are what burns energy and the larger the muscle the more energy it uses to do any particular task. So the more muscle you have the more energy you burn even while resting. Just like Hyperkid's post mentions.

Think of it like a 6L V8 vs a 1.5L 4cyl. Sure the V8 has much more power than the 4cyl and uses much more fuel while working hard but even while idling it still uses more fuel than the 4cyl.

But it sounds like you have the right idea eb_5litre. Its all about not eating too many calories and getting them from the right sources. And just getting up and moving, no matter what activity it is.