My weight loss experience . . . immediate past and present

[Java Cafe]

I am 52 years old, 5 ft. 7 1/4 inches, and have always been in moderately good health, by which I mean I have never been obese, but have been a bit pudgy, in the worst of time.

This my weight and waist measurement log:

Week 0 (at start): Wt.: 153.5 lbs.; Waist: Did not measure.
Week 1 (end of): Wt.: 148.5 lbs.; Waist: Did not measure.
Week 2 (end of): Wt.: 147.0 lbs.; Waist: 36".
Week 3 (end of): Wt.: 139.0 lbs.; Waist: 34".

So, this is the history of weight loss:

Week 1: 5 lbs.
Week 2: 1.5 lbs.
Week 3: 8 lbs.

The measurement for Week 3 was one day early and only a little while ago. So, in the thrill of seeing that result, I had to post this message.

So, the BMI progress has been 23.9 -> 23.1 -> 22.9 -> 21.7 (I am surprised how little these movements are! But, for the age range of 45-54, the normal BMI is 22-27; so, I'm happy to have crossed that barrier.)

Currently, the Waist/Height ratio is 51.3. My goal is to get it under 47. But, disappointingly, my Body Fat % (according to http://home.fuse.net/clymer/bmi/ ) is 24.

My weight goal is 133 lbs. And I need my waist to be 32" or less.

I lost weight in the first and the second weeks by spot jogging at home, twice a day (morning and evening), starting with my minutes and then extending it, to 15 minutes.

During the second week, I replaced one of the jogging sessions with light to moderate resistance exercises on a Total Gym 1000 I had from many years ago.

In the third week, I introduced a High Intensity Interval component to my spot jogging (which is now 20 minutes long), in which there are four equally-spaced minutes, during which I am sprinting as fast as I can.

My diet has been as follows: Eat little or nothing (but drink plenty of water) throughout the day, eat one very light dinner (making it as low in carbs as possible). I have one multivitamin supplement and 2000 mgs. of Fish Oil just after dinner.

My question is: What is your your reaction to this kind of weight loss? It scares the heck out of my family and friends, but I feel healthy (and really happy about my accomplishment). I plan to transition to a strength training and higher calorie mode after I hit 133 lbs (with the intention of adding the weight in muscles to the extent possible), but this is what I have for now.

So, what is your reaction?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Well, your body fat % is probably still up there because you aren't doing any resistance training. Weight training allows you to keep your muscle while burning your fat. If you just do cardio, you're gonna burn both muscle and fat, so you're still gonna be fat, but you're gonna have a lower amount of lean muscle mass. Plus, why do you want to be 133 pounds? That is a fairly low weight for your height.

Also, you're going about dieting all wrong. When you starve yourself, your body changes your metabolism - it slows it down so you burn far less than you would if you were actually eating something, which is why you should eat at least 1800 calories a day (if you're active and such) to cut weight. I would say you might be able to go less because of your weight and lack of lean body mass, but you are undoubtedly an ectomorph, so you'll lose weight easily.

Ok, back to dieting. Why do you think dieting is about starving yourself? You should eat throughout the day, eating a high amount of proteins and fats to sustain your body while making you feel more satiated. The way you're doing things, I wouldn't be surprised if you lost more muscle than fat and if you lost more water weight than anything. I say that because a 140lb person should NOT lose 8 pounds in one week. A massively obese person MIGHT be able to do it. The sweet spot for losing weight while maintaining muscle mass is about 1-1.5 pounds per week. Obviously, you're losing other things than just fat and it's not good.

Listen to your friends and family when they say that this is the wrong way to go about things. Search about diet in this forum and you'll find some threads where people outline the way to go. Keep in mind that they may be scaled for a larger person. However, you don't need that much less than what most people say. I'm currently cutting (I bulked and gained a small amount of body fat) and I'm taking in 2000 calories a day and doing HIIT involved with weight training. You need to get weights in there or you're just gonna be a skinny fat guy.

 

[Java Cafe]

SociallyChallenged: Thank you for your detailed, thoughtful response.

But, that was quite a whack on the side of my head!

Well, first, I *am* doing resistance type exercises. On my Total Gym, I do over pulls (3 sets), every time until failure. Same with incline sit-ups. I also do dumbell curls, and push ups (varying these, so as not to have consecutive days of similar muscle groups).

I just wanted to kill the fat before I started putting on lean muscle weight.

My Basal Metabolic Rate is 1438 kcal/day (from http://home.fuse.net/clymer/bmi/ ). Do I still need 1,800 calories per day?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: Java Cafe
SociallyChallenged: Thank you for your detailed, thoughtful response.

But, that was quite a whack on the side of my head!

Well, first, I *am* doing resistance type exercises. On my Total Gym, I do over pulls (3 sets), every time until failure. Same with incline sit-ups. I also do dumbell curls, and push ups (varying these, so as not to have consecutive days of similar muscle groups).

I just wanted to kill the fat before I started putting on lean muscle weight.

My Basal Metabolic Rate is 1438 kcal/day (from http://home.fuse.net/clymer/bmi/ ). Do I still need 1,800 calories per day?

You still need around 1700-1800 calories a day, I'd say. I forgot to include age in that estimate - sorry about that. My BMR is around 1750 so I calculated based off mine (we have similar stats - I'm 19, 157 now, 5'8"). Ok, now to address your "resistance type exercises."

I think by over pull you mean lat pulldowns. Also, you include incline situps, DB curls, and pushups. Before I address the rest of this workout plan, I want to address the statement that "I just wanted to kill the fat before I started putting on lean muscle weight." See, the problem is that you're not just killing the fat. You're killing the muscle; so you're losing lean muscle weight while losing fat and then you're gonna have to build it all back up. What you want to normally do is keep your current muscle mass and cut the fat and then see where you want your muscle growth to go from there. Ok, back to the routine.

Not to sound mean, but this is a very incomplete workout plan. It's important to include compound movements, since they work multiple muscles, stabilizing muscles, and allow for natural coordination in similarly natural movements. The lat pulldowns are an acceptable exercise as are incline situps, but you exclude a ton of muscle groups: traps, shoulders, chest, triceps, ALL of the LEG muscles just to name a few. Therefore, you should try to get bench press, military press, squats, deadlifts, barbell rows, etc, etc into your workout (google "compound movements" or "compound lifts"). Since you're a bit older than most weight lifters, I would say go with a weight you feel comfortable with. You want it to be challenging, but you don't want to strain your ligaments, tendons, joints, etc.

There's a lot to be done for your workout and I wanna help you reach your goals in the healthiest way possible. Let's recap just to clarify what I've said so far in this thread: 1) Don't starve yourself. 1700-1800 calories is ok. Try to look at my cutting thread for info on proportions of nutrients. Carbs make you hungry, fats make you feel satiated. Fats aren't the thing that usually make people fat. It's the carbs. 2) Stay hydrated. I know I forgot to mention this, but remember this one. 3) Rejuvenate your lifting routine. Maybe start looking at the Starting Strength program by Mark Rippetoe, which will help you maintain muscle mass and will make you stronger all around. 4) Include LEGS in your lifting routine. The legs include the biggest muscles in the body. When you lift for them, your body gets the biggest response (hormones, metabolic change, etc), so include them. 5) Last of all, be careful. I usually give advice to people ages 15-35 so I know how they can take everything. Use a weight that doesn't hurt, but still challenges you (usually for low reps, if you're going for strength or looking to maintain lean muscle mass while losing weight). If you have anything else, lemme know - I'd be happy to answer your questions.

 

[Java Cafe]

Thank you, SociallyChallenged. Not only are you knowledgeable and sincere, you do have uncommon generosity.

First, I forgot to mention that I do incline squats. But, since I am able to to do 150 of them, I guess those are aerobic as well. But, they do wring the life out of my thigh afterwards. I acknowledge, however, I am not following any sound exercise principle and that is the purpose of my seeking guidance here.

Thanks for the Mark Rippetoe pointer. I have this question though. The 2nd edition of his book (presumably the most recent edition) is described as "This edition begins where the 1st edition left off." Does this mean I should buy the 1st edition first? That seems odd.

Second question. What is you opinion of the StrongLifts 5x5 program by Medhdi ( http://stronglifts.com ) ? I have already downloaded the PDF e-book and would not mind using that as my starting point (since he also includes directions for building a basic home gym). But, I value your advice.

Thanks, again.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: Java Cafe
Thank you, SociallyChallenged. Not only are you knowledgeable and sincere, you do have uncommon generosity.

First, I forgot to mention that I do incline squats. But, since I am able to to do 150 of them, I guess those are aerobic as well. But, they do wring the life out of my thigh afterwards. I acknowledge, however, I am not following any sound exercise principle and that is the purpose of my seeking guidance here.

Thanks for the Mark Rippetoe pointer. I have this question though. The 2nd edition of his book (presumably the most recent edition) is described as "This edition begins where the 1st edition left off." Does this mean I should buy the 1st edition first? That seems odd.

Second question. What is you opinion of the StrongLifts 5x5 program by Medhdi ( http://stronglifts.com ) ? I have already downloaded the PDF e-book and would not mind using that as my starting point (since he also includes directions for building a basic home gym). But, I value your advice.

Thanks, again.

Regular barbell squats are pretty much THE best leg workout, so try to stay away from any machine (smith machine, incline squat machine, etc). And I just want to point out that soreness doesn't necessarily mean a good workout. It just means lactic acid buildup and such.

You know, I'm not sure about the Starting Strength (SS) editions. I'd say the 5x5 program would be great. It seems simple enough and includes a couple more lifts than SS. Go for it though. It'll definitely help you in your goals and you'll be surprised to see your strength gains.

Good luck and let us know how you like it when you start!

+SC

 

[GenHoth]

Originally posted by: Java Cafe

Thanks for the Mark Rippetoe pointer. I have this question though. The 2nd edition of his book (presumably the most recent edition) is described as "This edition begins where the 1st edition left off." Does this mean I should buy the 1st edition first? That seems odd.

The second edition is just a reworking of his first edition, you don't need both. That said, congrats on your success! We look forward to hearing about your strength gains very soon! (You should look up the goals 2008 thread we have and make a few for yourself!)

BTW, this forum is awesome. Its as civil as the DC forum!

 

[skace]

Originally posted by: Java Cafe
My question is: What is your your reaction to this kind of weight loss? It scares the heck out of my family and friends, but I feel healthy (and really happy about my accomplishment). I plan to transition to a strength training and higher calorie mode after I hit 133 lbs (with the intention of adding the weight in muscles to the extent possible), but this is what I have for now.

So, what is your reaction?

My reaction? I slap my head. Because I've been there, I've done it (I was a lot younger), I lost the weight (225lbs -> 173lbs) and I regretted it. Why? I burned muscle, I stored fat, the fat I burned came back quickly, the muscle I lost didn't return I had to earn it back.

I never did regain all the fat after that diet, so there was a silver lining, but creating definition became a much bigger process than it ever should have been.

 

[Java Cafe]

Originally posted by: skace

I burned muscle, I stored fat, the fat I burned came back quickly, the muscle I lost didn't return I had to earn it back.

You lost all of that weight in muscle?? Meaning you did not lose any fat at all? No inches off your waist or anything?

Second, how did you earn it back, I am curious to know.

Thanksl for your account. Please do respond.

 

[Codewiz]

I do a 1200 cal diet. I have dropped from 220 to 180lbs since November.

Here is the key....

When you have lost the amount of weight you want, start adding calories back SLOWLY(eg. add 100-200/day per week) while starting your exercise routine. That will help your metabolism get back on track so you won't gain the weight back. In about a month you will be eating 2000 calories and exercising. At the same time you will be building some muscle meaning you will be able to add more calories until you are at a stable acceptable weight.


I would like to also add, you aren't going to burn just muscle on a restricted diet. it is impossible to lose just muscle as skace suggested. The body breaks down fat much easier than muscle. When you lack calories in your diet, it breaks down fat and slows the metabolism. Once the fat is hard to come by, it starts breaking down muscle. But if you are looking to drop 40lbs, you probably have plenty of fat to burn.

The problem most people people have is when they hit their target weight, they go back to eating too much too quickly. Your metabolism has slowed. You need to slowly add back calories so you don't store everything you eat.

 

[skace]

Originally posted by: Java Cafe
You lost all of that weight in muscle?? Meaning you did not lose any fat at all? No inches off your waist or anything?

Second, how did you earn it back, I am curious to know.

Thanksl for your account. Please do respond.

No, I lost both muscle and fat. I did not regain all fat, but I gained some back when I finally went back to a normal eating plan. I also gained weight faster because I had less muscle.

My only advice to you is to spend plenty of time focusing on how you can maintain as much muscle as possible while going down this path.

Edit: 2 posts in a row, I don't know where I said I lost just muscle? Ok, I see the wording kind of. I meant I stored fat more easily but I DID burn fat off, I was at my skinniest during that period but it wasn't a good skinny, that's all I'm saying.

 

[KoolDrew]

Second question. What is you opinion of the StrongLifts 5x5 program by Medhdi ( http://stronglifts.com ) ? I have already downloaded the PDF e-book and would not mind using that as my starting point (since he also includes directions for building a basic home gym). But, I value your advice.

It's a solid program very similar to the Starting Strength program by Mark Rippetoe. However, I'd still suggest getting the Starting Strength book. Using proper form on the compound lifts is extremely important and the book will help a lot with that.

SociallyChalllenged was right on with everything he said and gave solid advice, so there isn't much to add.