08.06.08
Review: Fat Loss Troubleshoot
Ever wonder why you “hardly eat” but can’t lose weight? Why you work out like a maniac but don’t lose weight? Why you follow Program X but see no results?
What secret forces are conspiring to prevent your weight loss? (Genes? Hormones? Aliens?)
The answers to those questions and more are in Leigh Peele’s e-book Fat Loss Troubleshoot. Leigh’s main goal is to get you in, get the weight (fat) off, and get you on with your life; dieting should not be a way of life but rather a brief phase. She looks at common misconceptions and “advice” and shows you why that isn’t right and what, instead, is. She also includes case studies from her clients that shows how she was able to find and fix what they were doing incorrectly.
A lot of the advice, you might be tempted to think, “Oh, I knew that already.” Oh, really? Then why aren’t you losing the fat? Sure, you might know a lot of this, but you haven’t quite put it all together. Leigh lays it all out; you get no more excuses by the time you finish reading.
The section that really hit me was on training & eating for your goals and getting enough recovery. If your goal is strength, you need to eat for strength and rest & sleep for strength. But if your goal is fat loss, you need to eat for fat loss (that is, in a deficit) and train for fat loss (that is, not so intense that you can’t function) and make sure your body is recovering. So sure, do the fat loss thing — and just the fat loss thing — until you’re at your goal, and then change goals.
FLTS is mostly a breakdown of the how’s and why’s and why not’s of fat loss. It includes calorie calculations for maintenance and deficits and an activity quiz to determine how much you’re really moving. In addition to FLTS, though, Leigh also offers “OPT for Fat Loss,” which is a workout and calorie deficit program based on everything you learn in FLTS so you don’t have to do it all yourself, and the “Metabolic Repair Manual.”
MRM is for people who have dieted for years and who may have created a slow metabolic response and/or other intestinal problems. (There’s a quiz in the manual to see if you qualify.) MRM takes you through a process of resting and slowly eating more until your metabolic response and digestion is normal. A plan that makes you eat more? Sounds crazy and like a recipe for massive weight gain, right? Except Leigh’s plan works and with little to no weight gain, and sometimes even weight loss! (See this thread in the JP Fitness Forums for one lady’s experience with MRM.) I’m only a Level 1 (little to no damage) mostly because I haven’t been able to stick to any “diet” for more than two weeks. =P
And, as if she hasn’t written enough yet, Leigh answers questions in the Fat Loss Troubleshoot forum at JP Fitness, and her blog has more info, articles, and comments. Subscribe to her podcast; sign up for the Subscribers’ section. Also, watch her Fat Loss Tips video. (Btw, the answer to the question “What secret forces are conspiring to prevent your weight loss?” is found in that video.)
* * * * *
I really started following Leigh’s advice at the end of June (July 4th holiday not included!). With BJJ/MMA only 3 days/week and injured toes, I had the time to pay attention. And it made a huge difference. In the last month, my clothes have started to fall off as I’ve lost weight. I have progress pictures taken back in May and some taken last weekend, and the difference is amazing. In the last month I’ve started to get “You’ve lost a lot of weight!” comments. (And one hilarious addendum: “Did you do it on purpose?” Erm, yes.)
* * * * *
Update 08/15/08: Skwigg has reviewed both FLTS and MRM. (As for the grammar issues, yes, they’re there (and I had to hide all my red pens), but Leigh explained that she hired an editor who did a bad job. She’s the Fat Loss Troubleshooter, not the Grammar Queen, after all.)
Review: Red Carpet Ready
 |
| Photo by extranoise |
I’ve had my mom on NROLFW, Stage 1, since April. She keeps dropping off the program for a few weeks and hasn’t really wanted to move on and learn new moves with more weight. She’d never really lifted before I put her on NROLFW; she usually just walks on the treadmill. And she works out in the morning, in the basement, by herself. So she really needs a program that she can do without supervision.
I first really noticed Valerie Waters’ Red Carpet Ready a while back when Skwigg blogged about her experiences with the program. And anything that gets Skwigg’s recommendation is worth trying out. I bought the RCR e-book last weekend and read through it with the intention of putting my mom on the program. (Ha! My own personal guinea pig!)
Goals section. The first part of RCR is about setting goals, preparing for the program, and really committing yourself to following the program. Because, obviously, if you don’t follow the program, you can’t expect the results of the program. (Don’t just say, “Well, duh,” because too many people think that just because they’re kinda sort “on” a program that the program should magically work.)
Nutrition section. Valerie makes it clear that “Nutrition accounts for about 80% of the program.” Eat every 3 hours, eat protein at every meal, drinks lotsa water, plan out your meals: all that important stuff is there. Valerie’s not a calorie counter, so instead she gives recommendations on sample meals, portion size, and plate coverage (the % of your plate that each macro should cover). (If you do need to calorie count, as some of us do, or need to know why you’re “hardly eating” but not losing weight, then check out Leigh Peele’s Fat Loss Troubleshooter for more nutrition advice. RCR would probably work well with FLTS.)
Workout section. There are two workouts, A & B, that are alternated, and the workouts themselves change after 3 weeks. Each workout has 3 circuits that you repeat 2-3 times, doing most moves 12-15 times per circuit, for a total workout of about an hour. The highest weight listed on the movements is 10 lbs; however, movements include single-leg Romanian deadlifts, planks, Y & T (from the YTWL), step ups, lunges, single-leg squats, and push ups. In other words, most of the movements are challenging enough as body-weight exercises, so having lighter weights isn’t hindering your progress. A few exercises require a resistance band or the “ValSlide” (it’s kind of like a pad that slides across any surface, so whatever limb is on the ValSlide is having to work harder to stay in place). All exercises include a description of where you should be feeling the work.
Cardio: In addition to the weight exercises, you do cardio on your “off” days (with one day a week completely off). There are 3 cardio workouts to choose from, all of them an interval workout. The first cardio workout is the easiest, the second is medium, and the third is more advanced. All cardio workouts are presented by “perceived exertion,” and a chart is included to help you figure out each level.
* * * * *
So who could benefit from RCR? (Obviously Skwigg did, so right away that means that everyone can.) If you’re not focused on gaining much strength, don’t have access to heavier weights, or only have 6 weeks, then give this a go. And/or if you’re following fat loss advice like Fat Loss Troubleshooter and so need a program that doesn’t drain you and doesn’t need lots of recovery, I think RCR would be a good complement.* (As many of us trying to do NROLFW and follow FLTS found out, NROLFW is too much on fewer-than-maintenance calories.)
My mom was actually very excited when I first told her the name of the program. She kept bugging me until I finally downloaded it, and she had it in the page protectors and in a notebook within a few minutes of getting the hard copy. She’s buying a small step today for the step ups (I use the weight bench) and is looking at resistance bands. This week is her prep week: making sure she has everything, getting used to eating lunch again, and going to bed earlier/getting up earlier. She’s been through Workouts A1 & B1, one time through each circuit; her first response was, “I have to do those more than once?!” She’s never tried intervals before, but she was up to jogging on the treadmill, so she should be alright with those.
Mom update, 08-08-08: She not only bought a step, she also found the actual Valslides at Target and bought them. (I haven’t played with them yet.) Couldn’t find the Valband, though. I’ll try a few other places for a resistance band for her.
*To be fair, I haven’t tried the RCR workouts myself yet, so I don’t know how draining the workouts might be. If they leave you completely wiped out, wanting only to crawl back in bed and unable to go on with the rest of your day, then okay, they’re intense and probably wouldn’t work well with an extreme deficit. (For the record, the previous description is how I felt on NROLFW when I did it in the morning on maintenance calories. Tired, sluggish, and grumpy all day.)
03.26.08
What are you eating?
 |
| Photo by PPDIGITAL |
There’s a new show on TLC called I Can Make You Thin. The host, Paul McKenna, is a motivational & lifestyle coach (near as I can tell) who gives you a few changes to make at a time that keep you from overeating. (Here’s a funny: the banner on the TLC page says “This show is for entertainment purposes only.”)
I only caught bits of the program over the weekend, but one social experiment they did caught my attention. They wanted to test the effect of distraction (e.g., watching television) on eating. So they left out some popcorn until it got stale and then took it out on the street for people to taste-test; everyone said it was disgusting and stale. Then they took that same popcorn into a movie theater and gave it away as theater popcorn. (Didn’t say whether people paid for it.) At the end of the movie, they asked patrons about the popcorn. Most had eaten almost all of the stale popcorn and said it was fine!
So those people ate stale popcorn during a movie and didn’t notice that it tasted bad. What else might you be missing if you eat while trying to do something else?
Permalink Comments off
03.10.08
Too Many Variables
I did my undergrad in chemistry. I learned many things are coming in handy now as I try to monitor my food and exercise. But one of the most important things I learned is to change as few variables at one time as possible.
If you change more than one thing at a time, how do you know which change gave the result? Or if it’s only that combination that produces the result?
You don’t, because you’ve changed too many things.
The same principle holds in diet and exercise. Let’s say you start a new exercise program with an accompanying sound diet program (or at least a way to calculate suggested calories), but you decide that you don’t want to do the diet program because it looks like a lot of work. You’re tracking your food now and regularly eating about 1400 calories, and that seems like a good idea to you.
Let’s say that, in four weeks, you lose 4 lbs of fat. How do you know if the weight loss is from the new exercise program, your old diet, or a combination of the two? Or let’s say that you gained 4 lbs of fat. Again: new exercise plan, old diet, or both?
I started The New Rules of Lifting back in January. I hang around the book forum and watch for references to the program on SparkPeople. I notice a lot of questions that ask, “Can I change X? What about Y? Can I eat less than recommended?” Some of the questioners have legitimate reasons for asking (injury, limited equipment, moral/religious reasons), but some think they know a shortcut or a secret that will boost the workout or diet advice to rocket their fat loss.
Maybe their solution will work. Maybe it won’t. Which will they blame, the workout/nutrition advice or their “fix”? Probably not what they did. What will they do? Probably change something else, always assuming that they can fix it on their own. And soon, they’ll be doing something that doesn’t get them results and that doesn’t resemble the program they started on at all.
Permalink Comments off
03.03.08
NROLFW, Stage 1 Finished
I did the two AMRAP workouts last week. Workout A didn’t go so well–I bonked in the squats. My own fault; I hadn’t had carbs in a very long time and I decided to do AMRAP on my current weight. Workout B wasn’t so bad: I got 1×5x75lbs in deads, good form. Much happiness.
Genius that I am, though, I forgot my workout notebook this morning with all the measurements. So I’ll probably wait until next Sunday, when I will also hopefully remember to get the scale back, to post any of that.
This week is a week off. After bonking on Workout A and with this also being VT’s spring break (no TKD), I’m ready for it. Goal #1 is to not obsess about total cals, though I will keep measuring out my food so I know what I am eating. Goal #2 is to sleep! (Fat chance, but I’ll put it on the list anyway.)
Permalink Comments off
02.27.08
NROLFW, 1B8: Deads
The last regular workout of Stage 1. Wow.
- Deadlifts: (1×10x20) 3×8x50lbs
- DB Shoulder Press: 3×8x17.5lbs each
- Wide Grip Pull Down: 3×8x40lbs
- Lunges: 3×8x17.5lbs each
- Crunches: 3×8x10lbs (Swiss ball*)
*Arms too tired to hold the dumbbell out, long-arm style.
Last week all I could do was whine about my deadlifts; I couldn’t seem to get them, I looked goofy when I taped myself, nothing was working, yadda yadda yadda. Last night, easy peasy. Up, down, up, down. No extraneous pain, no issues. ??
I’ve been watching deadlift videos and reading deadlift articles since last week. Maybe one of them finally reset my brain correctly? I don’t know. All I know is, I finally got the deadlifts to work beautifully.
In another *headdesk* moment, I finally calculated the exact grams of proteins, carbs, and fat I need to aim for every day. Yes, this is a very basic and very “Well, duh” thing, but I just didn’t do it. Anyway, I want 40/30/30, protein/carbs/fat, so:
- Workout days: 2200 calories:
- protein: 220 g
- carbs: 165 g
- fat: 73 g
- Non-workout days: 1900 calories:
- protein: 190 g
- carbs: 143 g
- fat: 63 g
Knowing those numbers doesn’t change the fact that I’m reactive rather than proactive about tracking my food. But at least I’m not stuck depending on percentages, and I can see where I need to adjust a little easier. Besides, as I eat the same things again and again, I’ll be able to fit things in on the fly a little better.
Permalink Comments off
02.21.08
Eat more food
Someone on the NROLFW forums put me on to Skwigg. (Warning: her blog is probably not appropriate for reading at work because giggling, snorting, and other laughing noises are generally signs that you aren’t working on a company project.)
Skwigg talks a lot about women and eating, especially about women eating more calories to lose weight. Here are just a few of those posts:
- My Sad Story of Starvation and Flab – her story of slashing calories to lose weight
- Don’t Blow Up – getting on the right nutritional track
- Eat More/Eat Less Question – boost your metabolism
- Weight Loss from Exercise Only? – you can’t out-train a bad diet
- Three Pound Question – weight fluctuation in strength training
- All Those Calories
In addition, her blog is great for a no-stress approach to meals. And she has some awesome pictures of her bruises from martial arts classes. (I only have a little purple one on my foot–and I think it’s from a coffee table…)
Permalink Comments off
02.14.08
Meal Planning?
I am not the most organized person. I try very, very hard. I make lists, try new software, set alarms, set rewards, everything. Nothing works. I’m off within a few days. So meal planning and I… well, we don’t really get along.
There’s the one school of thought that says you ought to plan out your meals so you know that you’re getting enough protein/carbs/fat and enough calories. Start with how much protein you need, divide it by the number of meals per day, do more math, and magically arrive at 5-6 fully-packed meals with the correct calories per meal per day.
(I know, I know, the math really isn’t that difficult, but if there’s any way to avoid excess math, I’ll take it.)
So instead of the proactive plan-ahead strategy, I take a reactive approach. Definitely more of an “I shouldn’t have eaten that” plan. But if I told you that you had to plan ahead, I’d be a hypocrite. Also, most of the time I try to plan beforehand, I find that I’m out of half my ingredients when I get in the kitchen. So, the Lazy Reactive Guide to Meal Planning:
1. Track What You Ate
Instead of planning what I’m going to eat, I track what I already ate. I can see any trends in my eating and adjust for them. For example, a while ago I noticed that my weekend eating was horrible (as in, under 1000 calories horrible) even though I *thought* I was eating enough. I also noticed at one point that I was getting far more carbs than I wanted and not enough fat, so I made it a point to increase protein, decrease carbs, and increase fat.
When I notice these trends, I make a mental note: Increase chicken by 1 oz. Only half a bagel. Somehow, I remember them. But if it helps, you can also write down your menu notes.
2. Start with Protein
Every meal starts with a good protein base. Because I’ve tracked the same foods multiple times, I know my serving sizes of chicken, tuna, and protein powder–and I’ve learned the advantages of weighing out food. What I think “looks like” 4 oz of chicken is usually closer to 10 oz! Eyeballing… not so good for me.
After the protein is established, I pick a carb: green beans, couscous, rice, fruit, vegetables. (I know, green beans are a veggie, but I eat them so often, they get their own entry.) With pasta and grains, you should measure them out; they trick you by being so small, but really they can pack a lot of carbs in there.
Finally, I check that I’ve got a good fat. Kalamata olives, cashews, peanut butter. Nuts are also protein, but I’ll have a little of them and count them as a fat.
3. Learn Meal Combinations
As I track my food, I learn that X+Y+Z makes a good complete meal. So I’ll make it again and again because it’s easy to remember and I already know it works. Yes, this means I eat the same meals over and over, but I’ve found that a few “variety” meals a week will keep my taste buds entertained. Changing up the spice combination in a staple dish can also make it seem like new.
And the point is…
The point is that it’s good to know what you’re eating, whether you plan your meals or simply track what you eat. If you’re eating too much or too little, you won’t reach whatever health and fitness goals you have. If you aren’t eating enough protein and fat, you won’t get there either. (I deliberately leave carbs out because it’s hard to not get carbs. Most people eat too many.)
Obsessing about calories and macronutrient ratios is just as unhealthy as ignoring them. We need a happy balance between eating our food, tracking our food, and being controlled by our food.
Permalink Comments off
02.12.08
Calories in = Calories out?
You hear that, to lose weight, your “calories in” has to be less than your “calories out”. That is, you have to eat fewer than you burn off. And that’s true. But people don’t seem to have a reasonable idea of how many “calories out” they have every day. They seem to think they have to purposely cut out or burn off every “calorie in”.
Your body uses energy every day. If you did nothing all day long, your body would still use energy; this is your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). My BMR is about 1200 calories (calculated with the Owen’s Equation: 795 + (7.18 * body weight in kg)).
So if I do nothing all day, I need to somehow get about 1200 calories. (“Nothing” here includes eating. I guess I get an IV or something… eek, needles 
… but I’d get to sleep all day. Mmm, sleep, lovely. Oops, nodded off there. Wait, where was I? Oh, right…)
Sadly, I can’t do nothing all day. I have to go to work, eat food, cook, wash clothes–all that, er, fun stuff that makes up my day. So I use an activity coefficient to approximate the amount of extra energy my body needs to get me through a day. To sit at my desk all day, I need about 1900 calories.
(The activity coefficient I used (1.6) came from The New Rules of Lifting For Women. You may need slightly fewer calories if you’re very sedentary or slightly more if you’re very active. And remember, equations and coefficients are averages, not absolutely correct measurements. But those cost a lot of $$!)
Think about that for a moment. I’m 5′2″, ~130 lbs, and I need about 1900 calories per day.
Most diets tell you to limit yourself to, what, 1200-1400 calories? That’s a huge difference!
If I need 1900 calories just to go to work, but I only eat 1200, then I’m dipping below my BMR calories–that is, the basic energy that my heart, brain, lungs, etc. need. Anyone else see a problem here?!
My 1900 calorie daily calculation might look like a huge number of calories, especially if you’re used to “dieting” numbers. But remember, that equation tells me that I’m already burning that many calories per day. In other words, I eat 1900 calories and I’m also burning 1900 calories. So at the end of the day, I’m even.
If I want to lose weight (and not even exercise!), I can trim a few calories from that final number. Down to 1700 calories–I’m cutting 200 calories/day. I won’t drop huge amounts of fat each week, but I will slowly shed those excess pounds.
Too many diets set an absolute calorie range without accounting for the calories that you burn just by being you. They have you eat close to or below your BMR, but then you get out of bed and might even work out. So you’re in “calorie debt” (starvation): you’re eating fewer calories than your body requires for its basic keeping-you-alive function.
Sure, your body will lose weight on a starvation diet. And it will use what’s readily available: the energy in stored carbohydrates (glycogen) and in stored protein (muscles). What about stored fat? It gets saved for later.
Here’s my point: your BMR calories are sacred and already accounted for. Eat them every day. Do not burn them, do not cut them. Get at least this much energy so that your body continues to work properly. If you go to work, eat more–you’re burning it off just by going to work. (Hey, Mondays don’t look so bad now. Gotta go to work, honey. Gonna burn me some calories.) If you work out, eat some more, so that your muscle has fuel to burn.
Permalink Comments off
