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Ask YC: How do you lose weight?

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Re: Ask YC: How do you lose weight?

#92
I've been participating in triathlons/5ks/10ks since I was in high school. To keep in shape, I have a pretty simple regiment that I do 5/6 days a week. Each one of those days, I run, bike, or swim, depending on what I feel like doing. I go for how ever long I feel appropriate - long enough that I feel tired but not absolutely exhausted. I also go to the gym for half an hour to an hour each of those days. I do a lot of olympic type lifting (snatches, lifts, presses, rows, squats) and resistance training (pushups, situps, pullups, dips). Every now and then I throw something else in just to keep things exciting (like rowing, rock climbing, kayaking, skiing in the winter). I don't consider anything I do very strenuous, definitely something everyone is capable of. It winds up only being about an hour or two every day, which isn't much considering you're awake for about 16.

Re: Ask YC: How do you lose weight?

#93
post #90

To me it's really obvious that you should eat well and exercise... the problem is getting the time to do it. Why not work/hack at the same time as exercising? My home work desk is configured for standing... right now I'm experimenting with mini-steppers though I have a feeling that I either need to hack a full blown stepper or that I need to buy a treadmill. The problem is that most mini-steppers have bad design and…

I've been using a treadmill desk for about 8 months now: http://rura.org/blog/2007/11/14/the-treadmill-desk-exercise-... Once I knew I'd be using the treadmill long-term, I bought a Nordic Track A2350 treadmill online, along with a 4-year extended warranty (added to the year that's already included). There is little chance the treadmill will actually last through 5 years of 5-8h daily usage, so I expect to get my val…

nice =)

Re: Ask YC: How do you lose weight?

#94
I think it's pretty simple - eat right to the point where you're not full but not hungry and go to the gym as often as you can. I find that a balanced schedule leads to a balanced mind.

In terms of workouts, try hard intervals for both cardio and weights. It's the ideal way to both lose weight and keep your muscle toned.

Re: Ask YC: How do you lose weight?

#95
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Heh. Every time I go to Japan, coming from the United States, I gain weight. Part of this is because I probably get less exercise while in Japan (since I don't lift while I'm there), and part of this is because I love Japanese food, and so I tend to eat a lot while I'm there. People who move and then lose weight probably just don't like the food in the country where they moved. That said, when I stopped drinking soda…

It's a good thing Japan is not in Europe. Moving can have a big influence on someone's body/appetite, but moving specifically to Europe has other advantages. There's a book called The French (don't) Diet . I haven't read it, but I know people who have. The basic idea is that French food (and presumably much of Europe's food overall) is naturally healthy. It's not filled with preservatives or infused with high-fructos…

One large difference between American and European diets is portion size. One study into why the French don't have an obesity problem like a lot of other western nations had the simple conclusion that they simply ate less.

Re: Ask YC: How do you lose weight?

#96
post #45
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your math doesn't work because it's not that simple. The effects of exercise - strength training or cardio - do not stop once you stop. Your metabolism is raised for hours after, and your body has to start repairing itself. Also, please note there is more to exercise than cardio.

It does scale, and it is that simple. I exercise regularly (run, lift), and if anything, I've only gained weight while on an exercise-only program. On more than one occasion, I've made relatively mild cuts to my caloric intake (say, 250 Cal/day), and lost significant (>10 lbs) amounts of weight in 1-2 month time periods (and I've kept it off for years). Right now, I maintain my weight (6'2", 180lbs) by eating about 2…

For most people, it's pretty easy to cut 400-500 kCals out and barely notice.

Just cut back on soda. Eat half a burrito instead of guzzling the whole thing. Eat proper meals instead of snacking on candy bars.

Just the basics.

I've never dieted, but I'm down at 177 pounds from 189, since I thought I was getting a bit heavy, just through using the techniques above.

I suspect the largest contribution is from not eating an entire Chipotle burrito every couple of days, but instead eating just half, which is still a pretty good meal.

Re: Ask YC: How do you lose weight?

#97
Find BMR: http://tinyurl.com/2uc7ps

Use BMR info to find daily calorie needs: http://tinyurl.com/yxrujb

Subtract the total daily calorie amount by 250-500 and eat that many calories per day. Yes, you'll have to count calories.

Make sure to get enough protein (at least 1g per pound of bodyweight) and healthy fats (olive oil, peanut butter, nuts, etc) and a moderate amount of carbohydrates.

Do weight lifting 3 days a week, cardio the other 3, and take one day off to rest.

Losing weight is very simple: just make sure you're eating below your maintenance calories. There's no need to follow any special 'diets'.

Re: Ask YC: How do you lose weight?

#98
Eat less fat and things that are converted into sugar. Don't drink anything with calories. Exercise more. Eat as many fruits and vegetables as you can stomach. Drink black coffee or tea. For a treat, go with chocolate that is 70%+ cocoa. Or if you want to be hardcore, raw cocoa beans.

Re: Ask YC: How do you lose weight?

#99
I knocked off about 25-ish pounds using the 'eat to live' approach and I still seem to be losing although I'm not as orthodox as when I first started. It's basically a plant-based whole foods diet focusing on low fat / low salt / high nutrient density.

The book is worthwhile but I don't know about any of the other stuff that Dr Joel Fuhrman sells. You don't even really need the book as you can find enough web resources to get started if you google 'eat to live'.

http://www.drfuhrman.com/

Re: Ask YC: How do you lose weight?

#100
If you can catch Paul McKenna's "I Can Make You Thin" (I'm presuming you're in the US) in reruns on TLC -- revolutionary.

You don't "diet". Here are the rules (and they work):

1- eat anything you want (don't eat diet crap)

2- eat when you're hungry (no emotional eating)

3- eat mindfully (one bite at a time, put your fork down, chew 20 times or so, taste your food)

4- stop when you are full.

The rest is elaboration. Exercise helps, of course, and learning to enjoy exercise will help you in a lot of ways (disease prevention etc.).

But the big thing for me has been learning how to eat. That conquered, the rest comes naturally.

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