Count calories, not carbs

[CurtC]

Houngan wrote:
I reiterate: Not one single vaguely overweight person did I see.

When I took a trip to Japan, I still recall vividly the first thought I had when I flew back to the US, stepped out of the jetway, and into the airport terminal: "My Ed, look at all the fat people!"

I do tend to believe that it's the calories that matter and not the source, but I have to point out that this study was a meta-analysis. In general, when I see the phrase "meta-analysis," it's like a big red lighted sign screaming "junk science!"

 

[Guest]

My university of life thesis on dieting:-
1. In my twenties, I ate like a horse, drank like a fish and stayed between 160 and 166 pounds.
2.In my thirties, I ran four miles a day, ate like a small horse and drank like a thirsty dog. 166-170
3. In my forties, I have eaten sensibly, quit running because of the knees, drunk like a 40 year old and gone from 170 to 189 (currently 183).
My conclusions.
1. Diet fads vary with the age of the currently favoured diet guru.
2. Being twenty beats pushing fifty.

Did I miss anything important?

Nope.

As I age, my metabolism slows down. So I eat less and less. I guess that is why old people eat like birds. When you think of this kind of stuff from a survivor perspective, it is pretty cool. The older you get, the harder it is to get food, but you need less, so it works out. The body learns to conserve what you take in.

Awesome.

I mentioned it above in the way of a personal anecdote, but I really would like to know if science has proven that regular exercise can increase your metabolism.

 

[Stereolab]

I gotta disagree with some of you guys. The Atkins Diet works.

Do I think it's 100% healthy? No.

Do I believe a healthy diet plus exercise is the best way to lose weight? Yes--in fact that's what I've been doing over the last few months--I've lost 25 pounds.

But EVERYONE I know that has stuck with the Atkins diet has lost weight relatively quickly. And I have watched them stuff their faces with bacon, burgers, beef jerky, etc.--and some of them NEVER exercised--and yet they still lost weight.

I have never seen people lose weight more quickly with less effort (except for the cocaine diet, but that's another story)

 

[clusterm2]

Here's an easy way to drop pounds, but I realize not everyone can do it. Buy a bike and ride it to work. It sounds really easy, it actually is really easy, it's good for your mind and body, but you wouldn't believe the reasons people come up with for not doing it.

Although having said that, I'm ashamed to admit I won't ride my bike to commute because I don't live in a very....nice neighborhood, but as soon as I move, just watch out!

I ride my Buell M2 everywhere and you're right it is easy, but...I havn't lost a pound, in fact quite the opposite. What gives

 

[garys_2k]

I ride my Buell M2 everywhere and you're right it is easy, but...I havn't lost a pound, in fact quite the opposite. What gives

When you stop at traffic lights you should put down the stand and jog around the bike until the light changes.

 

[BillyJoe]

I weighed 50kg before I took up running and I looked like a kampuchean.
I weighed 60kg after taking up running and my appearance improved and I met my future wife.
I weighed 70kg after giving up running when the kids started arriving.
Now I weigh 65kg after getting back to some running now that the kids are semi-independant.

When I reach 60kg again I'm going to get myself a mistress.

[Hey, the last part is a joke.]

 

[plindboe]

People always love to believe in simple solutions. It's far from simple though, and there's much controversy among experts, and studies that give conflicting "evidence". Most(if not all) studies does indeed show that the overall energy intake is what matters, be it from fat, protein, carbs or alcohol. Our bodies need alot of different resources to be at optimal health, while at the same time when eating too much of a resource it can prove unhealthy too, that is probably a reason for the different study results, since "everything" can be shown to be harmful and "everything" can be shown to be neccessary for an optimal health too.

Don't believe all the different studies telling us "this is good" or "this is bad", since it's not that simple, instead just have a varied diet. Eat smaller meals spread our during the day, instead of few big meals. If you feel that you weigh too much, then try calculating how much energy one of your gender, weight and age in average burn in calories per day, and start calculating how much there is in the food you eat(it's not as difficult as it sounds).

You can find a calorie calculator here:

http://www.wvda.org/calcs/

Peter

 

[Hazelip]

I gotta disagree with some of you guys. The Atkins Diet works.

Do I think it's 100% healthy? No.

Do I believe a healthy diet plus exercise is the best way to lose weight? Yes--in fact that's what I've been doing over the last few months--I've lost 25 pounds.

But EVERYONE I know that has stuck with the Atkins diet has lost weight relatively quickly. And I have watched them stuff their faces with bacon, burgers, beef jerky, etc.--and some of them NEVER exercised--and yet they still lost weight.

I have never seen people lose weight more quickly with less effort (except for the cocaine diet, but that's another story)

Yeah, and my brother the diabetic can guzzle apple juice and dump keytones (sp?) as well.

It's unhealthy, stupid, shortcut-mindset ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊.

 

[Phaycops]

I ride my Buell M2 everywhere and you're right it is easy, but...I havn't lost a pound, in fact quite the opposite. What gives

Could be that you're still eating too much. If your ride to work is not very far, and you're not getting your heart rate up, and you're eating normally, then probably it isn't helping much. Keep a food inventory to see what all you eat every day. I bet it's more than you realize!

 

[clusterm2]

Could be that you're still eating too much. If your ride to work is not very far, and you're not getting your heart rate up, and you're eating normally, then probably it isn't helping much. Keep a food inventory to see what all you eat every day. I bet it's more than you realize!

Sorry Phaycops, it's ...er...a motorcycle, the only way it gets my heart racing is when some dope pulls out in front of me 'cause for some reason motorcycles (and pushbikes) fail to register on the retina of the average person. Now there's a mystery for you

 

[toddjh]

As I age, my metabolism slows down. So I eat less and less. I guess that is why old people eat like birds. When you think of this kind of stuff from a survivor perspective, it is pretty cool. The older you get, the harder it is to get food, but you need less, so it works out. The body learns to conserve what you take in.

Awesome.

I'm glad that I'm not the only who feels that way! I've been cursed/blessed with a slow metabolism, which I make up for by running marathons so I can continue eating the junk I like.

But I always tell people, when society collapses and the ice age hits, they'll be lining up to mate with me. (Please, ice age, hurry!)

I mentioned it above in the way of a personal anecdote, but I really would like to know if science has proven that regular exercise can increase your metabolism.

You know, that's a good question. It sure feels that way; and to a certain extent it certainly does -- my heart rate stays somewhat elevated for a good hour after I stop running, and I have difficulty sleeping for four or five hours. Lots of people assume that the effects are long-term, but now that you mention it, I really have no idea.

Jeremy

 

[BillyJoe]

.....my heart rate stays somewhat elevated for a good hour after I stop running.....

That's your body repairing the damage done to it by all that running.