Don’t Be a “Big Loser” – Why You Should Say No to Quick Weight Loss
Patience. It’s the one thing you never seem to have when you’ve got a body fat problem. You want the fat gone and you want it gone now! And why not? It seems so do-able. Everywhere you look, you read and hear promises of quick weight loss and you even see people losing weight quickly. We have reality TV shows that actually encourage people to attempt “extreme” body makeovers or see who can lose weight the fastest, and the winners (or shall we say, the losers), are rewarded generously with fortune, fame and congratulations.
Let’s face it. Everyone wants to get the fat off as quickly as possible – and having that desire is not wrong – it’s simply human nature. However, you must become aware of some serious problems that can occur if you try to force it and lose weight too quickly. The faster you lose weight, the more muscle you will lose with the fat, and that can really mess up your metabolism. An even bigger problem with fast weight loss is that the loss just won’t last. The faster you lose, the more likely you are to gain it back. Think about it: We don’t have a weight loss problem today, we have a “keeping the weight off” problem.
Weight loss will be the healthiest, safest and most likely to be permanent if you set your goal for about two pounds per week (and even if you lose only a single pound each week, that is healthy progress). This is the recommendation of almost every legitimate and respected dietician, nutritionist, exercise physiologist and personal trainer, as well as exercise organizations such as the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Dietetic Association.
Are there any exceptions to this rule? Is it ever okay to lose more than two pounds per week? The answer is yes. It may be ok to lose slightly more than two pounds per week if you have a lot of weight to lose because the rate of weight loss tends to be relative to your total starting body weight. Generally the rule is that it’s safe to lose up to 1% of your total body weight per week, so if you weigh 300 lbs to start, then 3 lbs a week is a reasonable goal.
But there IS a catch.
What really matters is not how much weight you lose, but how much FAT you lose. Where did your weight loss come from? Did you lose body fat or lean body mass?
“Weight” is not the same as “fat.” Weight includes muscle, bone, internal organs as well as lots and lots of water. What you really want is fat loss, not weight loss. If you only wanted weight loss, I could show you an easy way to lose 20 or 25 pounds in about 5 minutes. Just come over to my house. I have a really sharp hacksaw in my garage, and we’ll just slice off one of your legs, after all it’s just extra “weight” right?
Let’s look at an example with some numbers so you can really grasp this concept of weight versus fat and then you can see, clearly illustrated, what will happen when you lose weight too quickly (because I know you probably don’t believe me and you STILL want to lose weight as fast as possible… read on and it will all become clear to you).
As an example, let’s take a 260 pound man who has a lot of body fat to lose – let’s call it 32%. With 32% fat, a 260 pounder has 83.2 pounds of body fat and 176.8 pounds of lean mass. Using this example, let’s look at a few possible scenarios with losses ranging from two to four pounds per week.
Weight Loss Scenario 1:
Suppose our 260 pound subject loses four full pounds instead of the recommended two pounds per week. Is this bad? Well, let’s see:
If he loses a half a percent of body fat, here are his body composition results:
256 lbs 31.5% body fat 80.6 lbs fat 175.4 lbs lean body mass
Out of the four pounds lost, 2.8 pounds were fat and 1.2 were lean mass. Not a disaster, but not good either. Thirty percent of the weight lost was lean tissue.
Weight Loss Scenario 2:
If he loses a half a percent of body fat and only three pounds, here are his results:
257 lbs 31.5% body fat 80.9 lbs fat 176.1 lbs lean body mass
These results are better. Although he lost less body weight than scenario one, in this instance, 2.3 pounds of fat and only 0.7 lbs of lean mass were lost.
Weight Loss Scenario 3:
What if he only lost two pounds? Here are the results:
258 lbs 31.5% body fat 81.2 lbs fat 176.8 lbs lean body mass
These results are perfect. Even though our subject has only lost two pounds, which seems slow, 100% of the two pound weight loss came from fat.
Weight Loss Scenario 4:
Now let’s suppose he loses three pounds but he loses more body fat: .8%
257 lbs 31.2% body fat 80.2 lbs fat 176.8 lbs lean body mass
These are the best results of all. When the weekly fat loss is .8%, 100% of the three pounds lost is fat.
So the answer to the question is yes – it’s safe to lose more than two pounds per week… but only if the weight is all fat or at least mostly fat with minimal lean mass losses.
If you take example one – with thirty percent lean tissue loss and compound that over a few months, you’re talking about a massive muscle tissue loss which can dramatically slow down your metabolism and turn you into nothing more than a “skinny fat person” (a person with low body weight because they lost all their muscle, but still holding stubborn body fat because they slowed down their metabolism).
One thing you should know is that water weight losses sometimes distort the numbers, especially when you first begin a new nutrition and training program. It’s very common to lose 4 – 5 pounds in the first week on nearly any diet and exercise program and sometimes even more on low carb diets. Just remember, its NOT all fat – It’s water!
The best advice you will EVER get is to focus on losing fat, not losing weight. If you lose three to five pounds per week, and you know it’s all fat, and not lean tissue, then more power to you!
Of course the only way to know this is with body composition testing. For home self-testing, I recommend the Accu measure as first choice. I suggest using the bio-electric impedance analysis body fat scale only as second choice behind calipers for home self testing because this device gives some funky readings sometimes.
Even better, get a professional caliper test from an experienced tester at a health club, or even a water (hydrostatic) or air (bod pod) displacement test.
From literally hundreds of client case studies, I can confirm that it’s rare to lose more than 1.5 – 2.0 lbs of weight per week without losing some muscle along with it. If you exceed 2.0 to 3.0 pound per week, the probability of losing muscle is extremely high. If you lose muscle, you are damaging your metabolism and this will lead to a plateau and ultimately to relapse.
Lack of patience is one of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to losing weight. If you want your weight loss to be PERMANENT, you have to take off the pounds slowly.
This is one of the toughest lessons that overweight men and women have to learn – and they can be very hard learners. They fight kicking and screaming, insisting that they CAN and they MUST lose it faster.
Then you have these TV shows that encourage the masses that rapid, crash weight loss is okay. I say to the producers of these shows SHAME ON YOU! To the personal trainers, registered dieticians and medical doctors who are associated with these programs, I say DOUBLE SHAME ON YOU, because you should know better.
The rapid weight loss being promoted by the media for the sake of ratings and by the weight loss companies for the sake of profits today makes it even harder for those of us who are legitimate fitness and nutrition professionals because our clients say, “But look at so and so on TV – he lost 26 pounds in a week!”
Sure, but 26 pounds of WHAT – and do you have any idea what the long term consequences are?
Short term thinking, folks… foolish. There are hundreds of ways to lose weight quickly, but only one way to lose fat and keep it off in the long term.
Do it the right way – the healthy and sensible way. Take off the pounds slowly with an intelligent nutrition and exercise program – make this a new lifestyle, not a race, and you will never have to take the pounds off again because they will be gone forever the first time. No more yo-yoing.
Tom Venuto is a certified personal trainer, natural bodybuilder and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle.” You can get info on Tom’s e-book at burnthefat.com burnthefat.com. To get Tom’s free monthly fitness newsletter, visit tomvenuto.com tomvenuto.com
Liposuction Recovery – How To Achieve The Best Outcome
Liposuction is one of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures and involves the removal of excess fat from specific areas of the body. This procedure can be performed on the upper arms, cheeks, neck, buttocks, thighs, and abdomen. It can also be performed on the chest, ankles, calves and chin. It is generally considered a safe procedure although, as with any surgery, there can be risks and complications and these should not be overlooked when considering this procedure. Risks can include infection, bleeding, skin pigmentation changes, skin puckering and lidocaine toxicity.
Liposuction Recovery Time
General anesthesia is not used in tumescent liposuction so there is less bleeding and trauma to the tissues and the recovery is easier and more rapid than the recovery after non-tumescent liposuction.
Though liposuction recovery is usually uneventful, the best results are often gained in younger people because their skin has greater elasticity. It is also important that the person undergoing the surgery is healthy. People suffering from heart, lung or liver problems appear to be at greater risk of complications. It is therefore very important that you make your doctor aware of any health issues you are experiencing so he can be fully prepared for any adverse reaction during or after the liposuction.
There have been many instances where failure to know the full medical history of a patient created serious complications during or after the surgery that interfered with the successful liposuction recovery. It is also very important that you follow all instructions given by your doctor after the liposuction.
Liposuction recovery is generally easy, quick and complication free. The recovery period begins as soon as the surgery is over and many people are able to return to work within three to ten days of their surgery, depending on the area of the body where the surgery was performed.
Immediately after the surgery the patient is usually taken to a recovery area, where the drugs wear off. The patient is then usually able to get up and move around and is sent home shortly afterwards. You won’t be permitted to drive yourself so you should arrange for a friend or family member to be available to drive you home and, ideally, to stay with you on your first night at home.
Expect some discomfort in the days following the surgery. During the first few weeks most people will experience some degree of pain, swelling and temporary numbness. Pain medications will usually alleviate the discomfort and a compression garment will assist in minimizing the swelling. You should refrain from any exercise other than walking for about a week after the procedure. Slowly resume your old exercise routine.
You should be able to take a shower whenever you like, but do not take a bath for the first ten days.
Drainage From Liposuction Incisions
For the first three days after the surgery there will be quite a lot of drainage from the incisions. The liposuction incisions are not routinely sutured because the swelling reduces more rapidly if the tumescent solution and excess fluid can drain out rather than having the body absorb then remove it. The small liposuction wounds appear to heal with the same cosmetic result whether or not they are sutured.
Bruising
You should expect some bruising after a liposuction procedure. This will usually last from a couple of days up to two weeks. The swelling decreases rapidly during the first week or so then more slowly for a month or more.
Liposuction Compression Garments
Compression garments are usually worn for the first several days. These compression garments play a major role in liposuction recovery. They assist the wound to heal while preventing tissue movement and they can often prevent blood clots. The decreased bleeding from the smaller instruments used in tumescent liposuction make prolonged use of liposuction compression garments unnecessary.
When you go home after your cosmetic surgery procedure you will be given a list of instructions. Follow your doctor’s instructions and you should anticipate a trouble-free liposuction recovery.
Alison Stevens is an online author and maintains
How To Beat Insomnia
Doctors have no certain cures for sleep problems. But they may be able to offer help by prescribing sleeping pills, or treating illness which is keeping you awake, or helping you to work out what is causing the sleep problem.
A common difficulty with people who have persistent sleep problem is that they overestimate their sleeplessness. Laboratory tests have shown that people who believe they have chronic insomnia may be sleeping for only 40 minutes or less that “normal sleepers”
They may also blame daytime symptoms including tiredness and headaches on their lack of sleep when it is uncertain which started first. If you have difficulty sleeping and you are not just overestimating the amount of sleep you need. The first step is to find and remove the problems which keep you awake.
If you cannot do this, try to develop a relaxation technique. Sleeping pills cannot deal with the causes of insomnia. The best advice is to avoid them if you possible can. Here some Do’s and don’ts for poor sleepers tips:
Do ask your doctor for treatment to relieve pain or depression.
Do try to go to bed at the same time as your partner if you share a double bed.Do wear ear plugs or install double glazing to deal with noise. Wear an eyeshade or hang thick curtains to keep out light.Do take steps to be comfortable in bed. This may mean buying a new bed as old noes eventually sag.Do develop a night time routine. For example. taking the dog for a walk, locking up the house, cleaning your teeth, reading in bed.Do try a relaxation technique after turning the light out. For example, making up stories or reciting poetry.Do try taking exercise in the afternoon.Do take hot bath.Do read in bed if this help you to relax.Do try a malted milk drink or just warm milk when you go to bed.
Don’t eat anything that you find indigestible before going to bed.Don’t take stimulants like coffee, tea, cigarettes in the evening.Don’t get into an excited state by watching a horror film, for example, or tackling work problems just before to bed.Don’t expect to sleep if you are too hot or too cold. Use bedding that is appropriate to the room temperature.Don’t take naps during the day.
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Cinnamon And Cholesterol: A Spice That Shows Promise As A Natural Treatment
Did you know that cinnamon and cholesterol share an important relationship? That, in fact, cinnamon can be used as an effective treatment for persons with high cholesterol?
Researchers have been studying cholesterol and cinnamon and the results are exciting.
One study (involving patients with Type II diabetes) showed that taking one gram per day of cinnamon (one-fourth of a teaspoon, twice daily) significantly lowered blood sugar, triglycerides, LDL, and total cholesterol.
Interestingly, cinnamon has a long history as a medicine. Its unique healing properties come from three types of components found in its bark. These are oils that contain cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl acetate, and cinnamyl alcohol.
Cinnamon is an excellent source of manganese, fiber, calcium, and iron. Both the calcium and fiber in cinnamon can bind to bile salts and when bile is removed by fiber, the body breaks down cholesterol. It can be seen how cinnamon and cholesterol reduction go hand-in-hand.
It has been established that substances in plants have very strong biological effects and, in fact, plant derivatives are being researched in many places. It comes as no surprise that cholesterol and cinnamon are also being studied.
Phytochemicals or plant-based compounds have been discovered to render beneficial effects on various aspects of our physiology. Some of these are found in herbs and spices. In considering cinnamon and cholesterol, this spice may be of great value in maintaining healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
In one study, cinnamon reduced blood lipid levels as well as blood glucose levels. Additionally, patients’ total cholesterol was reduced by 12–26%, LDL was reduced by 7–27%, and triglycerides were reduced by 23–30%. Cholesterol and cinnamon will continue to be evaluated—especially in relationship to those who have Type II diabetes.
In treating high cholesterol, statin drugs are commonly recommended. But they are not the miracle drugs they were once believed to be. Some experts are urging caution because of the potential for serious side effects. Statins work by changing liver function for lowering cholesterol; however, this does not lower levels naturally and statins can be toxic to the liver!
If you are interested in the relationship between healthy-cholesterol-guide.com/lowering_cholesterol.html cinnamon and cholesterol, you may also be looking for other natural treatments that balance and adjust cholesterol levels.
Natural remedies contain important plant-derived compounds and oils that have been clinically researched for their efficacy. A supplement will be formulated using specific ingredients that support the body.
For example, policosanol is a natural substance derived from sugar cane. Numerous trials have demonstrated that it can safely and effectively lower cholesterol. Policosanol reduces LDL and raises HDL and long term testing shows that patients have experienced no side effects.
Policosanol performs even better when it is combined with other compounds, such as beta-sitosterol (a plant sterol used for treating hypercholesterolemia); lecithin oil (for treatment of high cholesterol); oryzanol rice bran oil (containing beneficial phytosterols); green tea (with its powerful catechins); and vitamin E (used for treating atherosclerosis).
If you are researching cholesterol and cinnamon and the potential health benefits this spice may offer, it may prove helpful to consult a natural practitioner who is knowledgeable about the properties contained in natural substances.
Using herbs and plants for treating disease and for healing may well be the wave of the future. Cinnamon and cholesterol and other plant-based substances and their beneficial effects on disease processes will no doubt be scientifically established as more time goes by.
Athlyn Green is an avid health enthusiast with an interest in natural remedies for treatment of health disorders. She has contributed to healthy-cholesterol-guide.com Cholesterol And Cinnamon, a section of healthy-cholesterol-guide.com healthy-cholesterol-guide.com dedicated to natural treatments for high cholesterol and heart disease prevention.