Walking for weight loss
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Yeah, I've seen it kicked around both ways too. Then I realize that some (not all) of the popular oral drugs used to treat diabetes list increased hunger as a side effect.
I think the pedantry has thrown the spanner in works here.
Averages are absolutely pointless and meaningless.
If you want to know you fat level it's not difficult to get them accurately measured, many good gyms will do it as a matter of course for new members, this will give you a more accurate representation of your body fat levels.
Likewise caloric intake will vary day to day depending on the activity level.
As i said previously if you up your activity level then the amount of calories you burn will increase.
Problem many make is they increase the activity level and decrease the calorie intake, this often causes the body to hold onto fat rather than lose it as i thinks there is a problem and it stores fat to get ready.
Again national averages, average calorie intakes are absolutely meaningless.
If you morbidly obese and are starting a new regime to get fit you absolutely need to see a doctor, get a health check many will have callipers to perform a body fat measurement.
Personally i never bother rechecking my body fat levels as i know just by looking i'm too fat, but many find regular checks a good motivation, if you fit into that category then a set of callipers are not expensive and there are many guides available on the areas from where to take measurements.
Averages are absolutely pointless and meaningless.
If you want to know you fat level it's not difficult to get them accurately measured, many good gyms will do it as a matter of course for new members, this will give you a more accurate representation of your body fat levels.
Likewise caloric intake will vary day to day depending on the activity level.
As i said previously if you up your activity level then the amount of calories you burn will increase.
Problem many make is they increase the activity level and decrease the calorie intake, this often causes the body to hold onto fat rather than lose it as i thinks there is a problem and it stores fat to get ready.
Again national averages, average calorie intakes are absolutely meaningless.
If you morbidly obese and are starting a new regime to get fit you absolutely need to see a doctor, get a health check many will have callipers to perform a body fat measurement.
Personally i never bother rechecking my body fat levels as i know just by looking i'm too fat, but many find regular checks a good motivation, if you fit into that category then a set of callipers are not expensive and there are many guides available on the areas from where to take measurements.
I'd second what Mark said with a few additions of my own ( bearing in mind I'm a fell runner, currently researching nutrition for running ultramarathons. I'm not trying to put you off running as such ).
First up forget about running/jogging, at least to start with. When your heart rate goes above 60-70% of maximum you're not burning fat, you're burning glycogen, until you run out of the stuff (round about 30-35km - 20 miles for imperialites) You have to get pretty fit to burn fat at any kind of running pace. Google 'heart rate training' to find out more.
Second, if you want to burn fat, walk a long way at a brisk but not breathless pace. If you want to burn fat off faster, do it when you haven't eaten for a couple of hours. It's called 'fasted training' and it boosts the mitochondrial ability to burn fat in place of carbs. If you're going to do that alone, in wild places, you absolutely MUST carry emergency food. If you start to feel weak, sweaty and cold (runners call it 'bonking' - it won't happen until around 20 miles), you need to eat - the body needs a small amount of carb to be able to burn fat. You might want to talking to your doctor about doing that though - just in case you have any blood sugar issues.
People often think you can't get fit walking. It's simply not true. Yes, ultimately you'll get fitter running, but you'll gain more weight loss benefit by walking, and gain fitness just as quickly right up to the point where running becomes the only way to get any fitter. Rushing at running because you think it's the only way to get fit is the quickest way to get disillusioned or injured.
First up forget about running/jogging, at least to start with. When your heart rate goes above 60-70% of maximum you're not burning fat, you're burning glycogen, until you run out of the stuff (round about 30-35km - 20 miles for imperialites) You have to get pretty fit to burn fat at any kind of running pace. Google 'heart rate training' to find out more.
Second, if you want to burn fat, walk a long way at a brisk but not breathless pace. If you want to burn fat off faster, do it when you haven't eaten for a couple of hours. It's called 'fasted training' and it boosts the mitochondrial ability to burn fat in place of carbs. If you're going to do that alone, in wild places, you absolutely MUST carry emergency food. If you start to feel weak, sweaty and cold (runners call it 'bonking' - it won't happen until around 20 miles), you need to eat - the body needs a small amount of carb to be able to burn fat. You might want to talking to your doctor about doing that though - just in case you have any blood sugar issues.
People often think you can't get fit walking. It's simply not true. Yes, ultimately you'll get fitter running, but you'll gain more weight loss benefit by walking, and gain fitness just as quickly right up to the point where running becomes the only way to get any fitter. Rushing at running because you think it's the only way to get fit is the quickest way to get disillusioned or injured.
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There's a lot of truth in this. Lets also not forget about cycling and swimming. In fact, if swimming is an option, it'll usually result in fewer joint injuries and a more well rounded work-out.
Yes to both points. However, remember that what most gyms will offer in this measurement is an slightly more accurate way of obtaining your BMI through body measurements. The Dr with calipers is again slightly more accurate than the tape measurements the gym usually use.
But the most accurate measurement of body fat is the tank test; where they compare your standing weight to your floating weight. It's based on the fact that fat is lighter than muscle and more buoyant.
My point is does it really matter though?
I know when i'm fat and when i'm thin, if the doctor tells me i'm 30% body fat or 32% it really makes absolutely no difference.
Likewise "average" sizes, weights, BMI's etc are all pointless.
All that really matters is how you feel, Bulimia, anorexia and other mental health body problems aside we know when we are fat or getting to thin, so why does it matter what the average Mexican weighs???
Likewise i don't need a body fat tank test to know i'm over weight, so it's just pedantic nit picking in my opinion.
The guy knows he is over weight, he knows he is unfit, so why derail his thread which contains lots of good sound advice by going off on a tangent about measurements that are completely irrelevant to the guys plans and progress?
Sorry if that comes off a bit strong, it's just 30+ posts arguing about average BMI, weights and who recommends what calorie intact in what geographical location is completely useless to the op.
Not at all too strong. I agree with you 95%. The only exception would be the person with excessive visceral fat. It doesn't show but is just as unhealthy (or probably more so) It also doesn't show up on the caliper tests or the tape tests.
Again though you wouldn't need to have a fat percentage test to know you're over weight if you had spare tyre of fat round your waist, so what would it matter if a test was out by a few percent.
As i say some folks enjoy gathering data on their fitness and weight loss, to some it's a good motivation to see they're making progress.
Speaking as someone that's been fat, thin then fat again i don't really need and generalisation from published papers of a test to know i'm fat and i need to lose weight.
Because I was talking about "visceral" fat (the fat inside, around or in your internal organs) that doesn't make a spare tire round you waist. I have a high percentage of such in my liver (confirmed by biopsy a few years ago)
In my case the diagnosis is NASH (Non Alcoholic SteatoHepatits)
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TurboGirl
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Its going to be interesting watching your progress lovey! And hearing your feedback about how the moral holds up, when I loose, theres highs and lows. Mind you as a lass, thats probably down to other reasons and you'll maybe sail it
This thread and it's advice is not aimed at you though mate, the op has identified his problem and has come up with a solution.
Nearly 2 pages of pretty much nonsense arguing about recommended calorie intakes and fat measurements doesn't really help the op in his exact situation.
Don't get me wrong i'm as guilty as anyone for going off on tangents but in this case i think it's gonna crazy as the majority of posts in the op's thread read more like the Pedants world cup score board.
New route often helps keep the motivation going.
Personally i rarely bother weighing myself, problem is if you're body is not used to the exercise you're putting it through you will be building muscle.
As muscle mass weighs more than fat you could conceivably put weight on but be thinner.
Best bet is to just see how you feel, only you know how tight certain trousers feel or how your belly looks when you get out the shower, in my opinion it's better to use these as measurements.
PLUS even if you don't lose much fat in the first few weeks you'll be gaining fitness which in the end is more important.
remember the only time your body metabolises fat adequatley is when your resting, so if you don't want your body to go into famine status, you have to eat carbohydrates (complex ones not sugar)and proetin during the day. If you feel weak or in need of energy try a bit of sugar, if you feel weak too often your not fueled sufficiently, and you will loose muscle mass. Fat from the day is stored until the night, so cut down on fat during the day, but not all by any means as you may go into fat famine and shut down. Cut fat out of your evening meal and try that. When you think of the size of 1000kcal in fat form(111ml of oil and 1000kcal in carbohydrate form (half a loaf of bread) its easy to see where the calories come from(atkins on high fat and you'll still get fat). Don't cut fat out during the day and eat it in the evening as your body will be searching for fat all day long whilst your active, to replace the fat it lost during the night.
Thirded. Sorry PTC but wrong on so many points although again I think we are in danger of going OT.
TurboGirl
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Bloody hell, Rebeldog, I'm soooo sorry this keeps happening to your thread. The fella gets it together to go out, get fit and looks to his favourite community to get behind him for a bit of moral support and all we can do is bicker back and forth between ourselves. Stick us a map up of your routes, take us some pics of the scenery you pass and lets get this quarrelling forgotton and concentrate more on the OP than slagging each others opinions down, the mods have better things to do than herd us cats all the time!
Turbo Girl, nobody is slating opinions.
It is a fact that aerobic (slow) CV exercise burns fat.
It would be remiss of us not to correct erroneous statements.
It is a fact that aerobic (slow) CV exercise burns fat.
It would be remiss of us not to correct erroneous statements.
