A uni student seeking ideas for weight loss

[mjm89]

Hey there!

My purpose for registering with this site is I would like some feedback on weight loss

Anyway, as a student I fit the stereotype of having a poor diet and exercise regime...

7 weeks ago I started doing Zumba Cardio Party and Turbo Jam (to mix it up) and in addition walk my puppy for an hour, five days a week.

I'm not sure how much I initially weighed before I started exercising (I was too scared to jump on the scales :oops: ) but I never really felt like I lost that much weight...

Just recently celebrating my 21st, I did the whole tradition thingy (yardy, etc) so I know I would have put on weight!...As soon as I went home I felt the flu coming on so I went to see the doctor about it and instead she did a whole body check on me (BMI, weight, etc) :shifty: To the point I was really freaked out by my results.

Been kind of depressed and all, I concluded that my exercise regime was sufficient enough so it must be my diet. About four days ago I decided to cut my meals down to two a day and not eat after 5pm. ATM I'm having nutri grain or weetbix for breakfast and for lunch: soup and toast.

Since my change in eating I've lost 1.4kg's in four days; is this too much/little???

Now I know this can't be healthy (I have an appointment with a nutritionist in a week and a half) but until then, could you guys help shed some light on some diet and weight loss tips that have helped you? I was recommended Nutrex Lipo 6 Hers (a supplement that accelerates weight loss) but for now I think I'd like to do it on my own.

Please keep in mind I'm fitness and healthy illiterate so in layman's terms would be great!

[teamfatboy]

My 2c worth: Don't think of what you're about to do as a "diet" - instead, focus on learning how to "eat right for you" - and in learning how to do it forever, not for the duration of a "diet".

First step: don't waste money on Lipo6, you don't need it. You will get better, sustainable results by learning how to work with real food in real serving sizes.

Second step: You DO need a proper eating plan, because two meals a day is never going to work in the long run - the 'fasts' between meals drive your metabolism into starvation mode, and it won't necessarily feed itself on bodyfat - you could end up thinner but still carrying too much bodyfat...

Third step: your diet sounds like it's awfully light on protein. How much protein (beef, chicken, tuna, even eggs or tofu) are you eating each day? Current thinking suggests that even while training, a trained competitive runner can achieve their best results on a diet comprising the optimum calories derived from 50% carbs, 25% protein and 25% fat. Your diet is almost certainly more like 75% carbs...

What you're eating at the moment sounds like it's woefully short on calories. There are some great posts on here about how to use those icky figures you just got, to work out what you need by way of calories just to maintain weight. A good nutrition should do all that for you, and then set you a balanced diet that's ONLY 200-300 calories below that, not some heinous, unsustainable amount.

I would also not rely solely on BMI - which increasingly is being ignored as flawed in some respects. Instead, use %bodyfat as a gauge. If your nutritionist DOESN'T measure bodyfat, tell him/her you want it done.

Yes, 1.4kg in two days is out there towards the unsafe end of weight loss. You'll likely be losing muscle mass as well as body fat.

Losing muscle mass is a potential problem because muscle needs more energy (calories) than fat just to survive, so losing muscle reduces your overall calorie need. If you revert to your old habits once you stop the 'diet', you will eat even more calories than you need, which will end up as body fat.

[nzmusclemonster]

Just recently celebrating my 21st, I did the whole tradition thingy (yardy, etc) so I know I would have put on weight!...

You're supposed to drink so much you spew it all out. win/win.

[mjm89]

Thanks teamfatboy, I will take your advice into account :nod:

I probably should have mentioned that I don't eat red meat. I've recently started eating tuna (after giving it up at the age of 10) but apart from that, that's the only source of protein I get at the moment...

Yeah I was a little hasty to try Lipo6 hers, I'm scared that if I come off it, I'll just put the weight back on again.

Oh and I lost 1.4 kg's in four days not two (if that makes it sound any better) been ignorant, I would have never thought that I may be losing muscle (I thought it was only fat!)

I agree my diet lacks certain nutrients hence why I posted this thread, but I'll be sure to check out the other posts and consult my nutritionist about my body fat percentage to work out what foods I should be eating.

Thanks again for the info, this will help me maintain my diet in the long run

[mjm89]

Just recently celebrating my 21st, I did the whole tradition thingy (yardy, etc) so I know I would have put on weight!...

You're supposed to drink so much you spew it all out. win/win.

Haha that's funny! I did :oops: however in the morning I ate burger king :shifty:

[mjm89]

My 2c worth: Don't think of what you're about to do as a "diet" - instead, focus on learning how to "eat right for you" - and in learning how to do it forever, not for the duration of a "diet".

First step: don't waste money on Lipo6, you don't need it. You will get better, sustainable results by learning how to work with real food in real serving sizes.

Second step: You DO need a proper eating plan, because two meals a day is never going to work in the long run - the 'fasts' between meals drive your metabolism into starvation mode, and it won't necessarily feed itself on bodyfat - you could end up thinner but still carrying too much bodyfat...

Third step: your diet sounds like it's awfully light on protein. How much protein (beef, chicken, tuna, even eggs or tofu) are you eating each day? Current thinking suggests that even while training, a trained competitive runner can achieve their best results on a diet comprising the optimum calories derived from 50% carbs, 25% protein and 25% fat. Your diet is almost certainly more like 75% carbs...

What you're eating at the moment sounds like it's woefully short on calories. There are some great posts on here about how to use those icky figures you just got, to work out what you need by way of calories just to maintain weight. A good nutrition should do all that for you, and then set you a balanced diet that's ONLY 200-300 calories below that, not some heinous, unsustainable amount.

I would also not rely solely on BMI - which increasingly is being ignored as flawed in some respects. Instead, use %bodyfat as a gauge. If your nutritionist DOESN'T measure bodyfat, tell him/her you want it done.

Yes, 1.4kg in two days is out there towards the unsafe end of weight loss. You'll likely be losing muscle mass as well as body fat.

Losing muscle mass is a potential problem because muscle needs more energy (calories) than fat just to survive, so losing muscle reduces your overall calorie need. If you revert to your old habits once you stop the 'diet', you will eat even more calories than you need, which will end up as body fat.

Thanks teamfatboy, I will take your advice into account

I probably should have mentioned that I don't eat red meat. I've recently started eating tuna (after giving it up at the age of 10) but apart from that, that's the only source of protein I get at the moment...

Yeah I was a little hasty to try Lipo6 hers, I'm scared that if I come off it, I'll just put the weight back on again.

Oh and I lost 1.4 kg's in four days not two (if that makes it sound any better) been ignorant, I would have never thought that I may be losing muscle (I thought it was only fat!)

I agree my diet lacks certain nutrients hence why I posted this thread, but I'll be sure to check out the other posts and consult my nutritionist about my body fat percentage to work out what foods I should be eating.

Thanks again for the info, this will help me maintain my diet in the long run

[teamfatboy]

Hi again...

Not eating red meat's not an issue, if you can get your protein other ways - chicken, whole fish, eggs, soy, any number of options, but it really does sound like it needs to be increased.

Most advice these days is that the safe, sustainable rate of weight loss is no more than one kg per week - and that for consistent progress a rate of weight loss of between 500-1000g per week is what people should aim for. Any higher risks unrealistic expectations, disappointment and perceived failure.

How much water are you drinking each day?

My point about Lipo6 is exactly as you thought - rather than artificial help, you're far better saving the money and learning how to make your diet work for you rather than against you. Much better in the long run.

[Janice78]

to lose 1 lbs of fat, you need to burn 3500 calories. I generally find cardio work outs pretty good for losing weight. I bought myself a heart rate monitor and found that working out in the open, ie running, cycling makes me work out more than in the gym. Furthermore when you are gaining muscle mass you will actually gain weight. It's probably best to measure inches to see if you are burning fat??

[mjm89]

Hi again...

Not eating red meat's not an issue, if you can get your protein other ways - chicken, whole fish, eggs, soy, any number of options, but it really does sound like it needs to be increased.

Most advice these days is that the safe, sustainable rate of weight loss is no more than one kg per week - and that for consistent progress a rate of weight loss of between 500-1000g per week is what people should aim for. Any higher risks unrealistic expectations, disappointment and perceived failure.

How much water are you drinking each day?

My point about Lipo6 is exactly as you thought - rather than artificial help, you're far better saving the money and learning how to make your diet work for you rather than against you. Much better in the long run.

Cool! I thought you were going to give me a lecture on how I should eat red meat lol! I'm open to any other alternatives, I'm not a fan of eggs but I like chicken and tuna, and I might visit the grocer and grab a bulk bag of almonds :wink:

I didn't expect to lose so much weight that fast, but its not surprising considering I haven't eaten as much as I usually do.

Okay so I have a 1.25 lt bottle of water and fill it up twice a day so I guess you could say 2 1/2 ltrs a day??? I also have a cup of jasmine tea before bed, to help me sleep..

Also whats your take on omega 3 fish oil capsules?

[teamfatboy]

Whole foods are always better than fake foods, red meat is great but chicken and fish are just as good. What's important is that the things you eat are things you can live with. Making you eat red meat when you don't want to would drive you away from the changes you need to make.

Water intake - that's good. Many people confuse hunger with thirst, and eat when they're thirsty... :doh: Jasmine tea's good, green tea's great, it has (modest) fat-burning properties, as does coffee (black, natch, and no sugar).

As for fish oil - a great source of essential fats, but the fat has to be taken into consideration as part of your overall protein/carbs/fats intake for the day. Eating them for the sake of eating them... why? Your nutritionist, if s/he's any good, should go over this with you.

[mjm89]

Whole foods are always better than fake foods, red meat is great but chicken and fish are just as good. What's important is that the things you eat are things you can live with. Making you eat red meat when you don't want to would drive you away from the changes you need to make.

Water intake - that's good. Many people confuse hunger with thirst, and eat when they're thirsty... :doh: Jasmine tea's good, green tea's great, it has (modest) fat-burning properties, as does coffee (black, natch, and no sugar).

As for fish oil - a great source of essential fats, but the fat has to be taken into consideration as part of your overall protein/carbs/fats intake for the day. Eating them for the sake of eating them... why? Your nutritionist, if s/he's any good, should go over this with you.

Thanks for all your replies, I'll keep this in mind when I get hungry..I mean thirsty! lol

[mjm89]

to lose 1 lbs of fat, you need to burn 3500 calories. I generally find cardio work outs pretty good for losing weight. I bought myself a heart rate monitor and found that working out in the open, ie running, cycling makes me work out more than in the gym. Furthermore when you are gaining muscle mass you will actually gain weight. It's probably best to measure inches to see if you are burning fat??

Thanks, I'll have a look into these heart rate monitors

[teamfatboy]

to lose 1 lbs of fat, you need to burn 3500 calories. I generally find cardio work outs pretty good for losing weight. I bought myself a heart rate monitor and found that working out in the open, ie running, cycling makes me work out more than in the gym. Furthermore when you are gaining muscle mass you will actually gain weight. It's probably best to measure inches to see if you are burning fat??

Thanks, I'll have a look into these heart rate monitors

Janice is right (altho I thought it was 1kg eq 3500 cals) - and the accepted wisdom's that the optimum rate of weight loss is between 500-1000g/ week. So, if you do some additional physical work, and set a diet around 300 cals per day below your maintenance level (once the nutritionist has worked it out), as long as that results in a deficit of around 3500 cals per week (or 500 per day) that's the recipe for effective, successful, bodyfat reduction and then keeping it off.

Buying a heart rate monitor gives you two key things - flexibility (you can gauge how your calorie expenditure's going no matter what kind of workout you're doing) and consistency (some gym equipment have "calorie" readouts but they're often wildly inaccurate. They needn't be expensive - and TradeMe will give you some idea of price.

Janice's point about body measurements is also good - Muscle's denser than fat, so girths (bicep, thigh, hip and waist eg) may reduce even if the number on the scales doesn't budge. Failing that, grab your favourite pants/ top and use them as the 'test pants' - are they looser, or not ?:grin:

[Beef]

if you start eating fish in your diet you don't need to be taking extra omega 3

[mjm89]

if you start eating fish in your diet you don't need to be taking extra omega 3

I don't eat that much tuna though, just on toast (I had three today)

I heard its good for hair growth???

[mjm89]

to lose 1 lbs of fat, you need to burn 3500 calories. I generally find cardio work outs pretty good for losing weight. I bought myself a heart rate monitor and found that working out in the open, ie running, cycling makes me work out more than in the gym. Furthermore when you are gaining muscle mass you will actually gain weight. It's probably best to measure inches to see if you are burning fat??

Thanks, I'll have a look into these heart rate monitors

Janice is right (altho I thought it was 1kg eq 3500 cals) - and the accepted wisdom's that the optimum rate of weight loss is between 500-1000g/ week. So, if you do some additional physical work, and set a diet around 300 cals per day below your maintenance level (once the nutritionist has worked it out), as long as that results in a deficit of around 3500 cals per week (or 500 per day) that's the recipe for effective, successful, bodyfat reduction and then keeping it off.

Buying a heart rate monitor gives you two key things - flexibility (you can gauge how your calorie expenditure's going no matter what kind of workout you're doing) and consistency (some gym equipment have "calorie" readouts but they're often wildly inaccurate. They needn't be expensive - and TradeMe will give you some idea of price.

Janice's point about body measurements is also good - Muscle's denser than fat, so girths (bicep, thigh, hip and waist eg) may reduce even if the number on the scales doesn't budge. Failing that, grab your favourite pants/ top and use them as the 'test pants' - are they looser, or not ?:grin:

So does this heart rate monitor thingy count how many calories you consume or just how many calories you burn?

Good tip about measuring myself instead..Kudos with the pants strategy!, I have a pair of $300 size 27 (small 10ish) jeans I purchased ages ago that I'm trying to fit into :shifty:

[teamfatboy]

So does this heart rate monitor thingy count how many calories you consume or just how many calories you burn?

Good tip about measuring myself instead..Kudos with the pants strategy!, I have a pair of $300 size 27 (small 10ish) jeans I purchased ages ago that I'm trying to fit into :shifty:

Heart rate monitors work like this - and "monitor" how many calories you burn, not how much you eat, sadly

[mjm89]

So does this heart rate monitor thingy count how many calories you consume or just how many calories you burn?

Good tip about measuring myself instead..Kudos with the pants strategy!, I have a pair of $300 size 27 (small 10ish) jeans I purchased ages ago that I'm trying to fit into :shifty:

Heart rate monitors work like this - and "monitor" how many calories you burn, not how much you eat, sadly

Ohk thanks for the clarifying that for me...

Sorry to be a pain, but could you tell me a good alternative to butter? I hate margerine (it tastes fake to me) but I love butter for it's consistency and creamyness! lol

[teamfatboy]

What's wrong with butter

Actually, I'm serious: provided you include it accurately in your diet plan, butter need not be an issue - use unsalted butter, but use it if that's what you like.

This database (which seems to be off-line when I tried it) is a good gauge of the relative merits of foods. I tried Calorie King which is an American tool.

According to Calorie King, there's not a lot to choose between them. 10g of butter and 10g of margarine both have similar calories, similar levels of fat, butter might be worse for cholesterol, but.... 10g of either is around 70 calories - so remember that and think how long it would take to burn it off. There's no such thing as a free lunch :grin:

The important thing is, if you want butter on your Vogels, you MUST take that into account from the point of view of fats, carbs, proteins and calories. But, if you do take it into account, and measure servings accurately, for my 2c worth, there's no diff between them.

[kswinkels]

hey bro i haven't had a look at the previous posts but need a 5th post to be able to send private messages and figured i may as well make it constructive so here it goes...sorry if what i mention has already been stated.... for weight loss you should exercise in the morning first thing before you eat that way you will be directly burning stored fat and not the breakfast you have just consumed, you should do cardio that you feel comfortable doing ie after 30-60 minutes you should be puffing but not dead...two ways you can do the cardio you could either do a short high intensity jog sprint an example of this is 4 minutes jogging then 20 seconds full sprint 10 seconds jog 20 secs sprint 10 secs jog ........do the 20 sec sprint then 10 sec jog cycle ten times then 4 minutes jog to warm down...so all up 12 minutes although this is intense cardio the other option is that you could do 30-60 minutes cardio of medium intensity (this would probably be the better option if your just starting out)...end of the day just do what you can mate but do it first thing in the morning definitely...just my 2 cents worth hope it helps u out anything else just private message me good luck mate :clap:

Karl

[mjm89]

hey bro i haven't had a look at the previous posts but need a 5th post to be able to send private messages and figured i may as well make it constructive so here it goes...sorry if what i mention has already been stated.... for weight loss you should exercise in the morning first thing before you eat that way you will be directly burning stored fat and not the breakfast you have just consumed, you should do cardio that you feel comfortable doing ie after 30-60 minutes you should be puffing but not dead...two ways you can do the cardio you could either do a short high intensity jog sprint an example of this is 4 minutes jogging then 20 seconds full sprint 10 seconds jog 20 secs sprint 10 secs jog ........do the 20 sec sprint then 10 sec jog cycle ten times then 4 minutes jog to warm down...so all up 12 minutes although this is intense cardio the other option is that you could do 30-60 minutes cardio of medium intensity (this would probably be the better option if your just starting out)...end of the day just do what you can mate but do it first thing in the morning definitely...just my 2 cents worth hope it helps u out anything else just private message me good luck mate :clap:

Karl

Helping me for your benefit? Oh my I feel so special!!! lol j/k honestly thanks for the comment any feedback would do but the workout you've given me looks a little intense :doh:

I usually work out in the afternoon (not a morning person) however I do Zumba (a cardio workout) and Wii fit exercises so I'm sure I'm doing enough cardio??? but I'll give it a go \:D/ Thanks again

M.J

[vongi]

I'm in the same boat - studying and training etc etc, it helps heaps with uni I reckon, youre just that more 'sharp' in lectures and stuff. Hmm, yeah, as everyone else pretty much said it, cardio and weights is the way to go, if your doing weights do that first before cardio (if ur doing ur training in one session), it works out more effecient that way so you use your glycogen stores while weight training and then with the cardio at least your more likely to hit the fat if you do it after. Calories are important too if you wana get down to real low bodyfat levels (I'm struggling with this though... :banging: damn it). lmbo, but this is coming from someone who's still new to the game

[mjm89]

What's wrong with butter

Actually, I'm serious: provided you include it accurately in your diet plan, butter need not be an issue - use unsalted butter, but use it if that's what you like.

This database (which seems to be off-line when I tried it) is a good gauge of the relative merits of foods. I tried Calorie King which is an American tool.

According to Calorie King, there's not a lot to choose between them. 10g of butter and 10g of margarine both have similar calories, similar levels of fat, butter might be worse for cholesterol, but.... 10g of either is around 70 calories - so remember that and think how long it would take to burn it off. There's no such thing as a free lunch :grin:

The important thing is, if you want butter on your Vogels, you MUST take that into account from the point of view of fats, carbs, proteins and calories. But, if you do take it into account, and measure servings accurately, for my 2c worth, there's no diff between them.

OMG so you're saying I can actually eat butter??? lol that is soooo cool!!! I thought to lose weight I'd have to come off butter completely, you don't know how happy this makes me

Although I will keep in mind "everything in moderation" just as long as I can have it with my vogels and tuna I'll be a happy gal!!!

[mjm89]

I'm in the same boat - studying and training etc etc, it helps heaps with uni I reckon, youre just that more 'sharp' in lectures and stuff. Hmm, yeah, as everyone else pretty much said it, cardio and weights is the way to go, if your doing weights do that first before cardio (if ur doing ur training in one session), it works out more effecient that way so you use your glycogen stores while weight training and then with the cardio at least your more likely to hit the fat if you do it after. Calories are important too if you wana get down to real low bodyfat levels (I'm struggling with this though... :banging: damn it). lmbo, but this is coming from someone who's still new to the game

Here here! Academically I'm sweet, physically (concerning exercise and diet) I'm working on it :think: As a 2nd year business student I have poor time management skills and focus more on getting an A+ than looking after my body...

I'm a chick so I don't really want to do weight training but cardio is fine with me (which I already do). Since I started losing weight, I've lost a total of 2.5 kg's in only a week so I'm kinda freaking out a little as "teamfatboy" states (I'm paraphrasing) that losing anything over 1kg in a week is dangerous :shifty:

I don't have a fast nor a slow metabolism (kinda in between) and I assume I'm eating enough??? so I don't understand the dramatic weight loss???

[teamfatboy]

Um... I knew I should have paid more attention in English class :grin:

The general thinking is that rates of weight loss greater than roughly one kilo/ week aren't necessarily "dangerous", but sustained loss at that rate is often not long-lived... the body responds by going into survival mode, and the backlash when the savage routine ends, often means a horrid rebound, and yo-yo dieting. In setting a slow, steady routine, the body handles it differently, and it is more likely to deliver long-term success.

As for MJ's initial rate of loss, if this is the start of her training, then that's not unusual - when I first started training, doing anything at all would have the weight falling off, so I'd not think that's entirely unusual.

Metabolisms are freakishly individual things - based on age/ ethnicity/ gender/ daily activity levels, all sorts of things. So, as each of us learns how our body responds to adjusting the protein/carb/fat levels, calorie levels and meal timings, we have to do that as individuals - a "plan in a can" off a website or a magazine won't teach you anything. But, once you learn that for your own circumstances, you can achieve heaps!

Why train with weights/ resistance, rather than just cardio? It's not just about weight loss, it's about muscle tone. While there's not really such a thing as spot reduction, weights work really does help. It is possible to shed weight and end-up skinny-fat, the sort of person who only looks good standing still....