Weight Loss, Diet, and Exercise Discussion

[AJane]

I still think that the bigger you are, the more diet affects your weight loss. The smaller you get, the more workouts become necessary. It's just logical.

Absolutely, I've seen the effects of it in my own home. You know the old joke about how guys can just stop drinking beer for a month and they'll drop 10 pounds? Well, after incessantly nagging my husband for years he finally gave up Pepsi. Sure enough, he dropped 10 after a few weeks. My husband is a very big man (6'6" and 300 lbs +) and he can literally lose several pounds in a week just by altering his eating habits. The problem is that he doesn't like to give up his favourites. He has started to work out and play hockey again though, so at least he's back on track with his fitness. I suppose that's at least part of the reason why the large weekly losses from the TBL contestants don't shock me.

I also used to be able to eat whatever I wanted, as long as I maintained my workout schedule. That's no longer the case, though, particularly now that I'm over 40 and pre-menopausal. I used to sniff at the idea that age and childbearing would affect my fitness and body shape. Yeah, I couldn't have been more wrong. I have to watch my diet - I never heard of the 8020 rule before, but it's not a bad idea - and I have to be really diligent about working out to maintain a healthy BMI. My old sports injuries are far more of a hindrance as I get older, too. I know Helen didn't have a lot of fans but what she did last season was simply amazing...I can't fathom the amount of work she put in to get down to what, 117? Realistically of course she wouldn't be keeping up such a long daily workout schedule - I know that juggling kids/spouse/job/house and trying to find that 30 - 60 minutes/day is not always easy.

[Wind Dancer]

Hello to all

First--my thanks to everyone who responded to my posts about working out/food intake.

Second--it sounds like we might all be agreeing that each person's body is different and that there really is no set "Rule" for losing/keeping off weight--except that the basic fact is that the body burns one pound of stored nutrients as 3500 calories.

If one is not training for a specific activity--I am trainiing for specific activities (which is how/why I can keep to that kind of schedule--I have a very specific goal for being able to perform very specific activities)--then it's important to remember that exercising/working out/conditioning usually will re-set your body's metabolism--that is--regular exercise will usually change the rate at which your body burns each pound of stored nutrients.


BTW--I am happy to see so many peple interested in factual info about how the body works and how to change the body so that it does what you want/need it to do for you.

Very cool discussion!

Thanks so much!

I wish that the show did more along these lines of presenting hard facts about the different ways to change your individual body to make it work better for you. This is--as has already been shown--one of my biggest beefs with this show.

[Wind Dancer]

To the person who asked me my age--no I am not in my twenties. And I come from a family of people with generally slower metabolisms. (Lots of pear/apple-shaped people in the family.)

But I have learned that the metabolism can definitely be changed/speeded up by engaging in a number of physical activities on a regular basis.

Each person has to experiement and find for themselves what works best for them.



ETA--the thing about mostly relying on food to change one's weight is that this does little/nothing to improve and strengthen one's heart and arteries etc.

It ahs been shown that regular exercise that challenges one's body not only makes the heart and blood vessels much healthier--but that it also increases brain function--especially in people over 40--though it works for any age group.

Diet alone will not do that.

Again--my thanks to the many people here who are contributing to this discussion. I just wish we could hear more of this on the show--exactly how exercise makes the heart/ciculatory system much healthier for example.

That--IMO--is a much better reason to exercise and "diet" than just wanting to change appearance.

IMO that kind of longterm goal of heart/brain health is much better for encouraging long term exercise/physical activity goals.

Have we heard Jillin or Bob say anythig like this?

[NCLurker]

They have actually talked some about how important diet and exercise are to a healthy body and life, I just think that so often gets overshadowed by the drama of game play and the intensity of the workouts

[PWS]

Just read an interesting article about calorie restriction vs. exercise effects on normal weight people. Apparently cutting your calorie intake 25% dramatically improves heart health, blood sugar, inflamation, etc. etc., meaning it is unlikely you will die of a coronary event. Exercise is also good for you of course, but nothing like the dramatic effect of calorie restriction. On that you lose weight for about 6 mo and then level off... thin but not concentration camp level. The subjects were people who were normal weight or just slightly above normal... a 2 year experiment. They emphasized that you would likely not see those effects in overweight people (other than weight loss)--you really have to get down to "thin" before it kicks in.

Grew out of work on calorie restriction and life extension in rats, etc. (retricted rats live much longer). This was a survey ariticle in the NY Times magazine a couple of weeks ago....had food /weight/dieting type stuff on the cover.

[spockwhat]

I'm sorry, Wind Dancer, but I'm just so curious as to what it is you are working out 2-3 hours and burning 1500 cals a day for!

My brother in law runs marathons, he qualifies for the Boston every year, and has run it once so far. He works out way less than that, except on long run days, where he may run an hour or two, but otherwise, he doesn't work out nearly that much. And he has his fair share of rest days. But, I am prying, and it really isn't my business, of course.

PWS, I have heard that information before... I believe some of the studies were done to determine why some nations of people generally live longer than others. In some cases it's obvious because of the third world/first world differences. But the wanted to know why there are dramatic differences between some first world nations. With the same access to nutrition and healthful foods, one glaring difference was the weight of the general populace.

[PWS]

I'm sorry, Wind Dancer, but I'm just so curious as to what it is you are working out 2-3 hours and burning 1500 cals a day for!

My brother in law runs marathons, he qualifies for the Boston every year, and has run it once so far. He works out way less than that, except on long run days, where he may run an hour or two, but otherwise, he doesn't work out nearly that much. And he has his fair share of rest days. But, I am prying, and it really isn't my business, of course.

PWS, I have heard that information before... I believe some of the studies were done to determine why some nations of people generally live longer than others. In some cases it's obvious because of the third world/first world differences. But the wanted to know why there are dramatic differences between some first world nations. With the same access to nutrition and healthful foods, one glaring difference was the weight of the general populace.

Right, but in the first world it's an issue of fat people vs. average people...this research is on people eating way less than they do in any first world country. With rats if they cut their calories 25% they live about 25% longer and the more they cut the longer they live, up to around 50% I think. Also the earlier they do it the longer the rat lives...not that anyone is suggesting calorie restriction for kids which has other effects.

[AJane]

I just wish we could hear more of this on the show--exactly how exercise makes the heart/ciculatory system much healthier for example.

That--IMO--is a much better reason to exercise and "diet" than just wanting to change appearance.

Sure, but look at the young women on the show like Amanda and her former partner (whose name I keep forgetting - the pretty dark-haired one). Girls who have been overweight all their lives just want to fit into a single-digit clothing size. Like most people in their 20's, they're not that worried about their health. Jillian writes and speaks extensively on the health benefits of exercise and proper eating - TBL is not "her" show and we see very little of her philosophy and her training techniques - but she also says that no one should be ashamed of simply wanting to "get skinny" for the sake of their personal appearance. Doing the work, for whatever one's reason may be, is what counts in the end. I don't think there is a "right" or better reason, it's just whatever motivates the individual.

[Wind Dancer]

I'm sorry, Wind Dancer, but I'm just so curious as to what it is you are working out 2-3 hours and burning 1500 cals a day for!

My brother in law runs marathons, he qualifies for the Boston every year, and has run it once so far. He works out way less than that, except on long run days, where he may run an hour or two, but otherwise, he doesn't work out nearly that much. And he has his fair share of rest days. But, I am prying, and it really isn't my business, of course.

.

Spockwhat--hi. Of course you're curious--most people are.
It's very natural and not at all rude.

I am training/conditioning for specific Physical Agility tests which include running and jumping and climbing fences and walls as well as dragging a 165 lb dummy 50 feet.


(Anyone who trains/conditions knows to incorportae rest days in their schedule. For example muscle growth/strength happens when one is NOT lifting weights but when the body is repairing the muscles that you've challenged/broken down by lifting slightly more weight than your muscles actually can.

That's how you get stronger.)

[Wind Dancer]

Sure, but look at the young women on the show like Amanda and her former partner (whose name I keep forgetting - the pretty dark-haired one). Girls who have been overweight all their lives just want to fit into a single-digit clothing size. Like most people in their 20's, they're not that worried about their health. Jillian writes and speaks extensively on the health benefits of exercise and proper eating - TBL is not "her" show and we see very little of her philosophy and her training techniques - but she also says that no one should be ashamed of simply wanting to "get skinny" for the sake of their personal appearance. Doing the work, for whatever one's reason may be, is what counts in the end. I don't think there is a "right" or better reason, it's just whatever motivates the individual.

AJane--hi. Thanks for calling me on that.

I apologize. I didn't mean to imply that it is "wrong" or "bad" to want to lose weight/exercise in order to look better. That is a very strong motivator for sure.

And regardless of the reason for losing weight/exercising--the benefits still apply.

All of them--including those smaller dress sizes.