One Infection
AngelAvalon
Hello everyone,
I've been having horrible kidney stone bouts and my doctor recommended that I lose some weight to boost my metabolism. I've already lost six pounds but it seems like no matter how much I cut back on what I eat and how much I increase the length of my workout I can't seem to lose any more weight?
Anyone have any tips they can give me?
You don't need to cut back so much on what you eat. Also it's not the length of the work out that matters it's the volume. Start eating healthier foods. And change your work out routine. Don't the the same thing every single day. Be sure to do cardio at least 30 minutes every othe rday. Don't expect to lose any more than 2 pounds per week. Aim no higher than that.
To add to this, you may want to include muscle training as well. Training your muscles will result in the most calories burned while at rest while cardio will result in the most calories burned while at work. A combination of the two is best for maximizing your results.
Just as One Infection said, you don't want to simply decrease what you eat, but rather provide yourself better options. Low calories does not equal "healthy". When your body is nutritionally starved, it holds on to as much mass as it can. It's essentially preparing itself for famine which is a natural survival mechanism. You're going to want your vitamins and minerals in your diet. Vitamin A, C, D, E, K, your B vitamins; calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, etc. If your body has the proper nutrients put in, you will get the most out of it. You will feel better and you will steadily lose weight.
I'd suggest eating nutritional foods, such as vegetables and fruits. Steer clear of fatty foods, such as fried foods and ice cream and cakes.
Your body does need all of its macro nutrients. These are fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Proteins build up and repair your muscles. Carbohydrates provide your muscles energy and help endurance and fats are energy. Your body needs a supply of all three during the day. Proteins can come from meats, such as chicken, beef, pork and so on (Baked or grilled are excellent ways to prepare meats) or from protein supplements. Most meats also provide a moderate amount of healthy fats as well. Carbohydrates can come from rice, bread, fruits and other such foods (Think Panera Bread. However Panera's meals are rather high in calories, which we will go over next). Healthy fats come from nuts, such as pistachios and peanuts. Always remember, however, that just because it's healthy doesn't necessarily mean it's going to make you lose weight. Too much of a good thing turns out bad. Moderate your intake.
If you want to lose weight, the goal is to eat healthy and burn more calories a day than you take in. The daily recommended diet is 2,000 calories. One pound of fat is 3,500 calories. To calculate how many calories you need a day to maintain your weight, do the following equation:
(Your body weight) * 10 *1.4 = X
For example, I weigh 165 pounds, so I would need (If you use the metric system, then 2.2 pounds = 1 kilogram)
165 *10 *1.4 = 2,310 calories a day to maintain my body weight.
Now if you want to lose weight, calculate how many calories you need to maintain your weight, and subtract anywhere from 300 - 700. Set that as your daily intake goal. As you work out, you will burn calories as well. If you burn 500 calories a day running, and consume only 1500 calories (Let's assume you require 2300 calories to maintain your body weight) then you're in a 1300 calorie deficit, per day. You will lose approximately (Remember one pound is 3,500 calories) 2.6 pounds a week, or 10.4 pounds a month.
Keep that up for a few months and you'll be down 30 pounds. Keep it up a year and you could be down 120 pounds.
Stay away from diet sodas and artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners such as Sucralose (Splenda) and Aspartame (An ingredient in most, if not all Diet sodas) cause your body to produce and release insulin into the blood stream. Insulin is responsible for taking sugar away from the blood stream and storing it as fat. This causes a few things to happen:
1) You have low blood sugar, which makes you tired (And thus skimp, or completely skip your workouts)
2) Your body stores more fat (Remember it's taking sugar away from the blood and storing it)
3) Since artificial sweeteners are so sweet, yet your body does not receive any actual sugar, your body essentially goes into "wtf" mode. You will crave sweets, which is counterproductive to weight loss.
The most important thing is really the most simple: Water. Your body needs water. Your body is 70% water. If you are active, consume four liters of water a day (Just over a gallon of water). Water contains exactly zero calories, making it excellent for weight loss. Additionally, water is used by the body to remove toxins and will help you become healthier faster. Water will help you sweat which, in addition to being good for your skin, will help you keep you from overheating. Water will keep you cool. Water will help you maximize your workout and lose the most weight. Water will prevent injuries, such as heat craps, heat exhaustion or even heat strokes. Dehydration isn't a ******** joke.
Good luck losing weight. Hopefully everything I said will be of some use to you. I don't know everything, but I do know plenty: Send me a PM if you ever need more information.