Nutrition/Training- Any questions.. GET IN HERE!

[RyanHarrison]

Morning fellow 'fitbiters' i am new to the forum and wanted to see if i could give some input on aspects of training/nutrition people are struggling with, so if you have any questions at all please drop them right in here!

I have spent hours & hours & hours researching all aspects of nutrition & training having made so many mistakes and done so much wrong at the start of my lifting career that if i can help people avoid these mistakes, then that's good for me!

[MagsOnTheBeach]

How long does it take calves to get smaller?  I've lost 50lbs this year and while I have lost 10 inches off my waist, my calves are the exact same size - 16 inches.  I was really hoping to get to 15 so I could wear tall boots this winter.  I run about 20-22 miles a week and often hit 8 miles or more a day in steps.  My scale is constantly changing.  Arms, neck, waist, hips, all much slimmer.  But oh the calves!     

[RyanHarrison]

Everybody stores fat differently meaning that some store more in their stomach or upper body in general, some in the lower back, some people store more in the lower body. The first place your fat creeps on is normally the fat which will be the last to go. The only way you are going to lose fat from anywhere(your calves in this example) is to ensure your in a calorie defecit and losing weight. There are many ways you can do this but if you are not already then i would try and track your food intake, you can do this on an app called my fitness pal. calculate what you are eating in total calories, weigh yourself each morning before eating and after using the toilet and take an average weigh in week to week and alter your calories according to this. Try and aim for no more than 1-1.5% bodyweight lost per week dependant on your size.

If you require any more info on this please come back to me and i can explain further if theres anything you dont understand.

Thankyou for your question.

[mbmarchant]

I have lost about 50 pounds in the last 6 months doing a meal replacement program.  As I move back to 'normal foods', I still find that I can gain 2 or 3 pounds in a day when I eat carb rich meals (Pasta, Rice, Pizza) even when the calories for the serving sizes I'm eating (- exercise) don't add up to that type of weight gain.

Any idea's why that might be?

The YoYoing on this is confusing and frustrating, I would prefer not to low carb due to kidney stones on past low carb diets - any suggestions are appreciated.

[RyanHarrison]

The weight gain you are experiencing is solely down to the increase in carbohydrates and not actual fat gain, the gain in weight is from glycogen stores, and water retention.

Low carbohydrate dieting has no additional benefits to a calorie deficit in which the macronutrients are split suitably.

I would suggest setting up your calorie intake to match your goals, e.g in a defecit(fat loss) or a surplus(muscle gain) and splitting the macronutrients as below.

I would keep protein to 1 gram per pound of bodyfat, I would then set fat intake to 0.4g per pound of body weight, you should then Fill the rest of your calories with carbohydrates.

In the first week weight will rise dramatically but you must remember this is not fat gain as long as you are not eating in a big caloric surplus, after 1 week or 2 weeks at most your weight will settle due to the regular carbohydrates and you can then progress in the direction of choice tracking your weight as you go whilst getting adequate energy from the carbohydrates which is the body's preferred source.

[BrookeG21]

Hi I have being dieting since May in a calorie deficit. I eat around 1400 calories a day and weigh 140lb but the fat will not budge. I go to the gym 4 times a week doing cardio and some ab workouts. Can you recommend what I am doing wrong, or what I can change to lose fat.

[RyanHarrison]

How often are you tracking your weight? Do you always get weighed at the same time and in the same condition? Are you counting your calories strictly enough? Its very very easy to add little bits here and there and all them calories can add up and wipe out your calorie defecit. Is your weight staying the same? If it is you likely need to increase your activity or reduce your calorie intake depending on how active you are daily already?

Also if you have being dieting since May that is not a long time, and dependant on how much fat you are currently carrying then it will likely take longer to notice visual differences.

Keep an eye on the scale & take measurements. I recommend weighing every morning before eating and after going to the toilet and taking a weekly average from this, you can then compare them averages week to week which will give you a more accurate view on your progress.

[StephRus]

I have to disagree that low carb dieting has no difference in effect to low calorie dieting.  Yes, calories matter but so do macronutrients.  I have lost 95 lbs on a low carb/high fat diet and I can tell a difference in my weight and water retention on days when I have more carbs than normal.  Some of us are just extremely sensitive to carbs and have to strictly limit them to maintain our weight and feel healthy.

(Don't worry, my health stats have improved on this diet, as has my autoimmune disease.  My rheumatologist is thrilled and tells me to keep up the good work.)

[RyanHarrison]

Great job on the weight loss and if that's what is working for you and is sustainable for you then thats amazing keep it up, although you can't argue with science. Calorie intake is the dominating factor of pure weight loss, yes macronutrients count and play an important role also when it comes to losing fat whilst maintaining muscle etc. No one macronutrient makes you fat, additional calories do. The weight fluctuation you see with carbs is purely water weight and glycogen. As long as you meet your protein and fat intakes neccasary for your goals then yes i beleive the other macros are down to preference, meaning in what you like to eat nothing else. 'being sensetive' to carbs is not even a thing & from someone who trains alot limiting my carbohydrate intake like used to really negatively impacts performance. If what you are doing is working and you are enjoying the process you are on the right track. Thankyou for your comments.

[Esya]

I don't consider water weight as body weight, despite that it shows on the scale. It is not weight that you can keep losing or gaining. It is more close to a step in your weight (either you have the weight from holding on to water or you don't). So to eat low carb to lose water weight will help short term, but once that water weight is gone you will have to eat less calories than you burn in order to keep losing weight. But you can also do the calories thing without losing the water weight.

[RyanHarrison]

Totally agree, water weight is what it is and it will always fluctuate depending on, food intake, water intake, stress etc. my point is as you said actual fat loss comes down to a calorie deficit and that's not an opinion that's science. Thankyou for your input:)

[StephRus]

Being sensitive to carbs is most definitely "a thing." I gain 5-10lbs within 24 hours of eating processed sugars and it gives me an immediate lupus flare that sends me to bed. My legs and feet used to swell with any exercise (like major edema swelling that required steroids to alleviate, not normal water weight) and that doesn't happen AT ALL on a low carb diet.

Really though, the biggest benefit to eating low carb is the body weight redistribution. It seems to aid in building muscle and losing fat, not necessarily losing weight unless you are maintaining a calorie deficit like you said (except that eating high fat/fiber healthy foods is satisfying and I don't have the desire to overeat). I weigh 20 lbs more now than I did in high school but I am the same size. It's really quite miraculous.


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[Adi80adi]

How would you recommend fueling for early morning runs? I am starting a new job in August and will be running by 4:30am. My training plan calls for runs anywhere from 5-15 miles. 

[RyanHarrison]

Depends on what time you go to bed and what time you wake, i cant imagine you are up long before you run so the best thing i could suggest would be to have a big meal including plenty of carbohydrates before bed. If you are up and hour or more before your run maybe some protein and faster digesting carbs, maybe or banana or the like if it was me.