Weight Loss?

[s5260205]

So...I just got diagnosed with fatty liver after a physical examination

 

I was told to run for 30 min everyday and eat less if I want to lose weight and reverse the fatty liver condition.

 

Anyone got any experience with weight loss? Any exercise or diet plan I should follow?

 

Thanks in advance!

[MD2015]

Half an hour before a meal, eat an apple and drink a glass of water. This will ensure you won't be too hungry. No bread, cookies or cake and leave the table when you still would like to eat more. Exercise is very important too, e.g., swimming regularly.

[EBDOC15]

fatty liver... I wonder, do you drink a lot of alcohol?

[Cerena]

Here's an interesting calorie burner calculator by discovery health:

http://health.discovery.com/centers/cholesterol/activity/activity.html

 

Play around with it. It's fun!

[FacelessMage]

fatty liver... I wonder, do you drink a lot of alcohol?

 

Fatty liver can be caused by diet.

 

I like to alternate cardio with resistance and core training. When I do cardio I combine walking and running in one workout, and I'm constantly mixing up the time I do either of them. I aimed for exercising 5 days a week for an hour at a time.

 

For eating, I basically cut out most refined foods (white bread, sugar, all that bad stuff). I started eating more whole grains and whatnot. I also ate a lot of Greek yogurt, fruit, and veggies for snacks.

[s5260205]

Half an hour before a meal, eat an apple and drink a glass of water. This will ensure you won't be too hungry. No bread, cookies or cake and leave the table when you still would like to eat more. Exercise is very important too, e.g., swimming regularly.

 

I guess no ice cream for me anymore

 

And I don't really have a habit of eating fruit. Guess it's a good time to start eating healthy.

 

fatty liver... I wonder, do you drink a lot of alcohol?

 

I don't drink alcohol (the bitter and spicy taste, YAK! ) I think my case of fatty liver is all due to my weight (180 lbs, 5'7")

 

Here's an interesting calorie burner calculator by discovery health:

http://health.discovery.com/centers/cholesterol/activity/activity.html

 

Play around with it. It's fun!

 

I heard weight gain/loss is largely a matter of calories intake. So if I were to eat ice cream everyday but strictly maintain my normal calories intake, I would not gain weight. Anyone mind break the myth for me?

[aaronjw]

 

I heard weight gain/loss is largely a matter of calories intake. So if I were to eat ice cream everyday but strictly maintain my normal calories intake, I would not gain weight. Anyone mind break the myth for me?

 

You are in part correct. Look up the twinkie diet.

 

The problem with such a diet strategy is that the weight you do lose will be comprised of fat AND muscle. Losimg fat is fine but losing muscle is bad as that lowers your metabolic rate.

 

Focus on macro's, 40/40/20 (protein, carbs, fats) while incorporating weight training 3-5 times a week and cardio every day starting at 30mins (preferably first thing in the am before eating). Cardio need not be running, a fast paced walk on a treadmill at an incline will suffice for now.

 

Food intake should be spread of 5-6 small meals per day, not all carbs are created equal and not all fats are created equal. Proteins, generally, are pretty equal.

 

Comsistency is key. Also remember, you can workout 24 hours a day but if what you eat and your habits dont change then you wont either.

 

Good luck

[NLengr]

The core principle for weight loss is simple: Eat less calories then you expend per day. Simple thermodynamics.

 

The crux of the matter is you need to start counting the calories you eat and make sure you are burning more than that. For every 3500 calories deficit you will lose about a pound.

 

My few tips:

 

1. There are a few caloric requirements calculators online that will use you age, build, and physical activity to tell you how many calories you need per day. Eat about 500 less than that a day.

 

2. The type of physical activity doesn't really matter. It's all about using the extra activity to burn calories. I like a mix of cardio (hockey, biking or running) with weights. Cardio is more effective if you are doing burst or interval training, plus it's more interesting. You can find lots of rough guides online telling you how much an activity will burn.

 

3. Fruits, veggies and whole grain foods are less calorie dense and therefore let you eat a greater volume for the same calories. More filling means less hunger sensation.

 

4. Alcohol is full of calories, especially all those girly cocktail type things, or any drink with regular soda. Switch to straight liquor if you are having a few drinks, or cut it with water or calorie free mixers.

 

5. Make sure your new diet is providing a good balance of food groups, fats/carbs/protien, and vits/minerals. Nothing takes the edge off weight loss like a nutritional deficiency.

[.ninja.]

Personally, I love interval training. Jogging for 30 mins wont do much to change your body composition after a while, but sprint training will. Actually, switching between the two is the best - get the best of both worlds. I'm also one of those people that gets bored 5 mins into a jog, but I can handle sprinting for a short period of time, resting, and then doing it again. It helps keep my workout interesting.

 

Try doing four sets of 30s sprints with four minutes of rest. It sounds incredibly easy, but if you do it right you'll see the pain. 3 times a week. After two weeks go up to 5 sets, then after 4 weeks up to 6 sets. Works wonders if you do it properly and combine it with the right diet

[Renin]

Exercise until you feel happy; do it with a friend or two if you like.

 

Eat when you're hungry. Drink a warm drink (tea!) before you eat; and eat slowly, multiple times throughout the day.

 

[jp.mylittlepwny]

Diet + exercise will give you the best results.

Weight training (compound movements that work multiple groups) will be most effective when coupled with 20+ minutes of low-med intensity cardio afterwards.

Jumping straight to intervals when you've been inactive is not the way to go. Start slow, then work your way up.

Pick a sport you enjoy doing that keeps you moving. I recently re-picked up table tennis again and boy does it keep your heart rate up.

 

For diet a quick way to eliminate calories is to cut out soft drinks, limit your milk beverages, and drink mainly water/tea.

Try to eliminate or reduce the amount of sauce you put on your food (ketchup included).

Cut out simple sugars and/or reduce wheat products, and replace with high fiber foods (lentils/beans) since fiber = zero calories.

Eat more frequently throughout the day but reduce the size of your portions.

 

Don't eat large meals before bed.

GL

[Pantaloons]

All the advice above seems seems valid; the support is really nice to see!

 

I just wanted to chime in and say good luck with the diet and exercise! It's a commendable project to take on, and you'll feel so much better every day!

 

Keep at it!

[PhoenixFlare500]

I'm too lazy at this hour to read the other posts in detail but I know that gaining muscle from weight-lifting in addition to dieting/doing cardio will increase your metabolism allowing you to lose more weight.

[Addy K]

I've been a certified personal trainer for 3 years, and there is some false stuff in here (e.g., don't have big meals at night - timing of nutrients isn't important except pre and post-workout where incoming nutrients can be utilized better, what really matters is your total daily caloric intake and the macro-nutrient ratios [protein:carb:fat]). There is some good stuff in here too, probably enough to get you started. In any case, I've had plenty of clients come to me because they were diagnosed with diabetes or other weight-related medical problems and the hardest thing for them is staying motivated. It's easy for people to tell you what to do, but the psychological aspects are often overlooked and just as important. Find a fitness activity that you enjoy and you can see yourself doing for a long time. Same goes for a nutritional program - make one that suits your needs physically and psychologically. If you want more specific advice PM me and I'd be happy to help.

[anastasia]

i lost 80 pounds by myself. i figured out my BMR (basal metabolic rate- aka what your body burns every day just by existing) and budgeted my calories based on that, ie. if my body burned 1700 calories a day just by existing, i'd eat around 1200-1400 calories a day, plus exercise which created an even bigger deficit. i also ate a lot of lean protein and stayed away from most processed stuff, but i did NOT deprive myself. i just learned how to portion my treats. the entire process took about 9-10 months.

 

i'm doing couch to 5k right now (http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml, http://www.c25kapp.com/) and i'm going to be doing day 2 of week 8 tomorrow. i also do p90x, not religiously, but fairly often. i've noticed quite a difference in my body's tone.

 

good luck to you!

[astrogirl]

I have hypothyroidism and have been overweight as long as I can remember, despite the fact that I have a pretty healthy diet and I rarely over eat. I'm actually one of those people who loses my appetite completely when I get stressed out. I've got the eating part pretty much under control, but I've found that the only way for me to lose weight or even maintain my weight is to get as much exercise as possible. I don't drive and I walk everywhere unless it's really far and then I take the bus. I swim and do yoga and water aerobics. I try to look for every possible opportunity to squeeze some more physical activity into my day. When I need a study break, I'll get on my exercise ball and do sit-ups for 5 minutes. Little things like that can really add up.

[aaronjw]

I have hypothyroidism and have been overweight as long as I can remember, despite the fact that I have a pretty healthy diet and I rarely over eat. I'm actually one of those people who loses my appetite completely when I get stressed out. I've got the eating part pretty much under control, but I've found that the only way for me to lose weight or even maintain my weight is to get as much exercise as possible. I don't drive and I walk everywhere unless it's really far and then I take the bus. I swim and do yoga and water aerobics. I try to look for every possible opportunity to squeeze some more physical activity into my day. When I need a study break, I'll get on my exercise ball and do sit-ups for 5 minutes. Little things like that can really add up.

 

Are you on meds? T4 or T3?

 

If you arent on meds then diet type really matters. For example, keto diet which is fantastic at stripping fat while keeping satiety ( that full feeling) but lowers thyroid function thus carbs are important but its a fine balance because carbs = insulin responce and depending how you body handles carbs the amount you take could trigger enough of an insulin response to tell your body to begin storing fat.

[NLengr]

I've been a certified personal trainer for 3 years, and there is some false stuff in here (....what really matters is your total daily caloric intake...).

 

Can you clarify what you mean here?

[astrogirl]

Are you on meds? T4 or T3?

 

If you arent on meds then diet type really matters. For example, keto diet which is fantastic at stripping fat while keeping satiety ( that full feeling) but lowers thyroid function thus carbs are important but its a fine balance because carbs = insulin responce and depending how you body handles carbs the amount you take could trigger enough of an insulin response to tell your body to begin storing fat.

 

Yeah, I'm on Synthroid (I think that's T4?). I've been on it since I was 12 and I get blood tests twice I year to make sure I'm taking the right amount. I also have celiac disease, so the carbs I eat are mainly brown rice, quinoa, and potatoes. I don't eat a lot of gluten free breads and things because they're full of starch and fat and sugar. I don't eat a lot of dairy, and I mostly eat vegetables, fruits, meat, and eggs. It's quite possible that I don't get enough carbs, although I do usually eat fruit for breakfast and fruit has carbs. It's just easier to steam some veggies and cook a piece of chicken without waiting for rice too cook.

[apache]

I lost about 65 pounds about a decade ago so I have a bit to say about this, I used a simple and straightforward formula.

 

Run twice a day for half an hour each time. If this is to difficult for you to start off at right away, alternate between 5 minutes of running and 5 minutes of running, there's no rule that you start off all hardcore . Build this up to as long as you feel comfortable going. A couple years ago I was going 2 hour runs every day, but that takes a bit of time to build up to.

 

Start some mild weight training, building muscle tone will increase the efficiency of your running in burning calories as well your basal metabolic rate. Depending on what your goals are for building muscle tone it may pay off to pay a personal trainer for a few sessions so you can you can learn the basics and prevent injury. I-Fitness is also a great app if you have an Iphone for home work outs.

 

My diet was simple, try and have 5-6 smaller meals a day and use common sense, no fried foods, candy, chocolate, most of my meals would be a grilled chicken sandwich on brown bread with veggies and some low fat barbecue sauce with a salad or something like that. Or a salad with a grill chicken breast on it, maybe an egg white veggie omelette with some brown toast. Make sure to get lots of fruits and veggies in between meals to keep your metabolic rate high.

 

Don't fret if you have a pizza every once in a while, it happens, fitness is a journey, no a sprint! My vice was icespresso chillers, but they're only like 280 calories so whatevs!

 

Hope that helps, believe me, you can do it, it wasn't until my tenth try that I finally lost all the weight, and I've been in good (when schools a *****) to fantastic shape since!

[jp.mylittlepwny]

There are a lot of misinformation that is perpetuated by personal trainer (not you necessarily) since there are a plethora of organizations of varying credibility that you can become 'certified' by.

 

The OP's goal is weight loss, and having a large meal before bed is counter-productive to achieving that goal.

Nutrient timing actually is important where having frequent meals raises your metabolism (thermic effect of food) and hence you burn more calories which will facilitate weight loss.

Not all macronutrients are created equal. Just having a nice ratio of carb: pro:fat is not sufficient. The source of the macronutrient is a factor that cannot be overlooked.

 

Aside from that, good advice.

 

Look up John Berardi , his website is a great resource for nutrition, and overall advice on health.

 

I've been a certified personal trainer for 3 years, and there is some false stuff in here (e.g., don't have big meals at night - timing of nutrients isn't important except pre and post-workout where incoming nutrients can be utilized better, what really matters is your total daily caloric intake and the macro-nutrient ratios [protein:carb:fat]). There is some good stuff in here too, probably enough to get you started. In any case, I've had plenty of clients come to me because they were diagnosed with diabetes or other weight-related medical problems and the hardest thing for them is staying motivated. It's easy for people to tell you what to do, but the psychological aspects are often overlooked and just as important. Find a fitness activity that you enjoy and you can see yourself doing for a long time. Same goes for a nutritional program - make one that suits your needs physically and psychologically. If you want more specific advice PM me and I'd be happy to help.

[aaronjw]

There are a lot of misinformation that is perpetuated by personal trainer (not you necessarily) since there are a plethora of organizations of varying credibility that you can become 'certified' by.

 

The OP's goal is weight loss, and having a large meal before bed is counter-productive to achieving that goal.

Nutrient timing actually is important where having frequent meals raises your metabolism (thermic effect of food) and hence you burn more calories which will facilitate weight loss.

Not all macronutrients are created equal. Just having a nice ratio of carb: pro:fat is not sufficient. The source of the macronutrient is a factor that cannot be overlooked.

 

Aside from that, good advice.

 

Look up John Berardi , his website is a great resource for nutrition, and overall advice on health.

 

Actually there is a recent study out (by Layne Norton, I believe) that seems to indicate that the small, frequent meals isn't any better than 3 large meals (assuming cals and macro's to be equal). I am not sure I buy it myself and frankly, I am not going to have myself or those I prep for contests give it a shot either.

 

The biggest thing I find that people need to consider (and muse mentioned it) is this is a marathon, not a sprint. You didn't put the weight on overnight so one shouldn't expect to take it off overnight. Additionally, you need to make this a lifestyle to be continually successful. As muse said, don't worry if you eat some pizza, of ice cream or chips now and again but rather be concerned if you are yo-yoing back and forth between losing weight, gaining weight and having to lose it again. Obviously there are times in our lives where sh!t happens and life goes to hell but the key is limit the length of time you're off the wagon

 

Oh, and yes. Berardi is good.

[mdDave]

Alot of good advice above,

To reiterate what some people said before:

1. Caloric deficit is a must

2. limit simple carbs, if you eat carbs they better be from whole wheat stuff

3. weight training will boost your metabolism = fat loss.

try Starting Strength: http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ:The_Program#Three_Flavors_of_Starting_Strength

or any other program that focuses on heavy compound lifts.

4. On the 4 days of the week that you are not lifting, do interval training, jogging/sprints and 1 rest day.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_training

5. Start slowly! That would be an intense program, you need to make sure you're not overtraining and you don't want to get burned out.

6. Stick to it for at least a month. If you make it that far I think you will like your results and continue.

7. Keep a log of your progress. Weights lifted, calories burned or distance ran or whatever, it will keep you motivated.

8. Find a internet forum with people doing the same thing and participate in it, it will keep you motivated

 

I think that's about it.

[jp.mylittlepwny]

9. Have a cheat day! or cheat meal aka soulfood.

For me it's toonie tuesdays at KFC/popeyes and miss vickies jalepeno on weekends

Alot of good advice above,

To reiterate what some people said before:

1. Caloric deficit is a must

2. limit simple carbs, if you eat carbs they better be from whole wheat stuff

3. weight training will boost your metabolism = fat loss.

try Starting Strength: http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ:The_Program#Three_Flavors_of_Starting_Strength

or any other program that focuses on heavy compound lifts.

4. On the 4 days of the week that you are not lifting, do interval training, jogging/sprints and 1 rest day.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_training

5. Start slowly! That would be an intense program, you need to make sure you're not overtraining and you don't want to get burned out.

6. Stick to it for at least a month. If you make it that far I think you will like your results and continue.

7. Keep a log of your progress. Weights lifted, calories burned or distance ran or whatever, it will keep you motivated.

8. Find a internet forum with people doing the same thing and participate in it, it will keep you motivated

 

I think that's about it.

[*Pixie*]

I agree with most of the above. A lot of it is personal though.

 

I am the kind of person who could potentially go down the weight gain route if I let myself go... I LOVE food. What worked for me was developing a routine that I can comfortably maintain and ENJOY for years to come. I wasn't hugely overweight, but definitely chubby a couple of years ago when I realized I gotta do something. So I got involved with some of my friends at the gym and then signed up for spin classes. What did it for me was the spin class - the instructor was SOOOO motivating, I ended up doing things that I would have never imagined I could do! Next thing I know, I could run for 30 min no problem and I could sort of kind of see some muscle definition haha. I think it is important to find someone inspiring and motivating at the early stage of exercise, someone who can push you for your own good:) Now, 2 years later, running and cycling have become my second nature and I get grumpy if I don't exercise. Another great thing about it: you get runner's high (it's real) and you start craving it more than popsicles.

 

As far as eating goes, at the beginning I wasn't focusing on changing my eating habits (they were okay btw but i did enjoy marble slab ice cream frequently lol). Once I realized how much work, pain and effort went into exercising I also realized that I should NOT be indulging in foods that negate the positive outcomes, so eventually I stopped wanting sweets and creams. My rule of thumb now is, like aaronjw said, 40/40/20 and I make sure I eat enough fibre. I allow myself wine and desserts on weekends (Fri-Sat-Sun) only:) gotta have fun right:D

 

All the best! You will surprise yourself with how much you can accomplish, just stick to it. Have faith!!