Could use some personalized weight loss advice from Experts :)

[fl_beach_bunny]

OK everyone so the more I read, the more I get confused and I could just really get some advice from people who know what they are doing on this site.

I'll just lay it all out there, I am:

• 5'3 (normal bone structure - not small)
• 142 lbs - and want to lose 17 lbs
• I've never been much of an vigourous exerciser although I'm an active person
• New to fitbit (have used myfitnesspal for a long time)
• Previously lost 45 lbs back in 2010 with Atkins and kept it off this whole time
• I still eat only non processed foods - protein, veggies, cheese (not much), no sugar, very few carbs (I really do not want to get into a debate about Atkins)

Currently stuck at a serious plateau for a very long time now, its 3 on, 3 off -- over and over and over......I am trying my best now to not get discouraged and keep at the exercising and diet routine.

I got my fitbit in hopes that it would inspire me to move more and it has but I've only had it for 1 1/2 weeks.

My first week, I worked out 6 days out of 7 for 60 minutes on the treadmill in cardio zone. I did my best to keep my calories at 1200 although I am bad about not eating enough but I usually come close (I've learned by being here that is definitely not good and could contribute to stalls or muscle depletion). I gained 1 lb! Ok so i know it could be water retention.......

Last week, I was getting annoyed at fitbit for making myfitnesspal add the calories i burned to my calorie allowance and kept deleting it. Question: Should I be eating those calories if I want to lose weight? I think fitbit is already taking 500 from my suggested intake right?

I want to keep my calorie deficit at 500. So I am curious.... I'll never be a marathon runner but I want to workout enough to be able to lose 1-2 lbs a week. 60 min 6 days a week was a lot for me and I dont know if thats sustainable. I like to vary my routine as well, take my dog for a very long walk. 

Question: Should I run on the treadmill for a shorter period of time? I think its better to be in the fat burning zone for a longer period of time than be in cardio zone for a shorter period of time though right...for fat burning purposes? 

Trying to think of other questions i had, I know there are a few. I'll start with this for now.

Thank you so much!

[Corney]

I'm a retired Physical Therapist and was the exercise coordinator for a surgical Bariatric program.  My problem with fit bit is that when you are in your aerobic zone you will also burn fat after 20 minutes because the body does not want to deplete all of it's stored carbohydrates.  My only advice to you would be to add some weight training along with your present routine.  60 minutes on the treadmill in your aerobic zone is more than enough.  Adding some weight training would insure that you will not lose muscle mass and it would increase your Basal Metabolic Rate, which will burn more calories throughout the day.  I'm lucky enough that I don't exercise to lose weight, my % body fat is 11.9% and my BMI is 19, so I don't count calories, never have, I've just exercised since I was 25, now I'm 68.  I don't like diets, because they are a negative.  Just eat healthy with plenty of fruits and vegatables and enough protein to maintain you lean body mass.

[Knocker55]

This is a great response! Well thought out advise. Thanks!

[Corney]

I just wish more posters would take my advice to heart, rather than listen to ancedotal advice( advice based on individual experience, or reported observations unverified by controlled experiments) like IF and the ketogenic diet.  The ketogenic diet has only been extensively studied in the treatment of epilepsy.  While working at the Bariatric clinic, I also worked with a registered Dietician.  My background includes 6 years of college to include studing, Physiology, Kinesiology, 1 year of gross anatomy, Biochemistry and 38 years as a Physical Therapist.  I was an avid runner for over 25 years, but after running I contined to exercise on machines that were kinder to my knees.  The bariatric clients were not admitted to the clinic unless they were boarding on morbid obesity, had participated in at least 3 documented diet programs (which all failed).  I told all the participants that they did not want to lose weight, but wanted to lose fat, that could only happen after the surgery, if they combined the drastic calorie reduction caused by the surgery and exercised, combining aerobic and strength training.  Our clients had over a 95% success rate provided they followed our regimen, those that didn't, lost weight, but their % body fat increased.  It seems a lot of posters are looking for the easy way to lose weight. Whereas I thought the reason people bought the fitbit wanted to become more physically fit, that can't be done without combining aerobic exercise and strength training.  I doubt any participant in a body sculpting competition could complete a 5 K run without stopping to walk. So does a body fat of 3-4 % make one physically fit, No.  Does a BMI of 18 make one more fit than a person with a BMI of 22, not necessarily, it depends on the individual and how they exercise.  I wish everyone would concentrate on becoming more physically fit, instead of worrying about % body fat, so they could enjoy a more healthy happy life with their family and friends. 

[divedragon]

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@Corney wrote:

I just wish more posters would take my advice to heart, rather than listen to ancedotal advice( advice based on individual experience, or reported observations unverified by controlled experiments) like IF and the ketogenic diet. 

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You've been really good at saying one thing and doing the opposite as if everyone should just believe you.  In the IF thread you made the statement "reference your research."  Yet you NEVER reference yours.  Here you mention ancedotal evidence, yet I posted, not observation or just individual experience, but real medical studies conducted by health and research experts.

What ever training and experience you have I submit is outdated and your close minded approach leaves you to continually attack, quite aggressively in cases, practices which oppose those position in spite of evidence provided.  I am certainly going to put more stock in the advice of a full medical professional such as Dr. Jason Fung than a physical therapist - which is not a nutritional therapist. 

I have no formal medical or nutritional training, so I read and study those who do and from the hard evidence IF has merit far beyond that of any nutritional advice I've heard.  I, too, once held many of your beliefs, but now I consider there is a lot more to how we process food than anyone once believed.

[divedragon]

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@JCendurance wrote:

Hi, first I am no fitness expert but what I do works for me. I have learned by trial and error that eating several small meals through the day is what works best. If someone thinks that not eating all throught he day is the way to go, thats bad info. Start your day with a solid breakfast. You dont head out on a long trip on an empty tank do you? And if your trip is long you usually have to stop every 400 miles for gas. We operate by same concept. Drink a ton of water. Flushes system and makes you feel full. As for the exercise, what works best for me is tricking my body. Change it up every few days or so and change duration. Your body will get use to the same thing everyday and then learn to adapt to protect itself. So if someone weighs 180 pounds the body says I have to protect this at all costs so I will guard against whatever comes my way. So if it doesnt know what you are going to do its tougher for it to guard. At the end of the day many very rich people know that body image and good health are important to so many people. And while there are several good diet "plans" out there it all boils down to this. Attitude and hard work. Most people can change the attitude, its the second one that people want to work around. We live in a world where we must have everything right now. That's sad because its causing us to give up on old fashioned hard work. OK enough preaching. Bottom line your 60 minute everyday on the treadmill is wasting your time. Your body expects it. Change it up Go on Pintrest and look at some of the 30 day challeges that may interest you. They have squat challenges, push ups, sit ups and so on that take 5 minutes a day but work. Cardio alone is not going to get you where you want to go. You have to work those muscles as well. Get the brain to call all those fat cells into action and that will get the fire burning. Confuse your body. Dont get in a routine, you will get bored soon and give up. You dont listen to the same song everyday do you? BTW give yourself one day to rest and heal.Fit Bit has helped me also I strive for at least 20,000 steps a day. I do push ups everyday and squats everyday and sit ups. Thats it. I just want to maintain. I am not a gym resident. I dont have time for that. I feel I am in great shape for waht I do. i hope this helps. Let me know what you think. Maybe we can set up some ideas for you

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So I respectfully disagree and do so with strong evidence.  One of the problems with eating small meals throughout the day is that it keeps a constant supply of insulin in your blood stream.  Depending on what you eat, how much.  This not only contributes to fat gain, but also insulin insensitivity - which can result in type 2 diabeties.  For more in depth discussion of this, I invite you to review Dr. Fungs discussion of this beginning with this link:  https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/historic-perspective-obesity-hormonal-obesity-1/

Dr. Fung is a Kidney speciality who has worked with a lot of diabetics in his practices and offers not only references to other studies, but to his own patient experiences.  What really struck me too was the new research into insulin index to take the place of the glycemic index.  It seems blood glucose only accounts for a 23% correlation in how much insulin is produced in response.  He also discusses the mechanism where excess insulin in the blood can force the storage of fat within that period of time that does NOT equate to calorie deficity or surplus.

Regarding the analogy of going on a trip with an empty tank, the logic in that is flawed in that it assumes your tank is your stomach and not your fat stores.  Fat is the tank that needs to be accessed and that excess fuel be burned.  Fasting, more effectivly than calorie restriction, can put the body into fat burning mode much as cardio and other glucose depleating action can.  There is actually a scotsman in the Guness book of world records who began with a weight of something like 480 lbs and fasted for 386 days and lost down to 181 lbs.  He was monitored throughout the process and suffered no ill effect (and in fact many surrogate markers improved) and 5 years later was still at 194.  He did not loose muscle mass nor suffer any nutrient deficentcies. 

I once held every one of your beliefs, but as I read and study the new evidence that is coming out, I've let go of many of them.  This is not a fad and fasting has been practiced for thousands of years.  I encourage everyone to at least study with an open mind and, in light of the evidence, make their decision.

[Ukase]

Without knowing a great deal more, I think that you might benefit from a 30-40 minute fasted walk before breakfast. 

[Corney]

As many on this site know I'm not an advocate of fasting, I'm an advocate of healthy eating and exercise.  I'm a retired Physical Therapist of 38 years, I exercise 5 days per week, 45 minutes of aerobic exercise and 3 days per week a lift moderate weight to continue my rehab on surgery for a torn Rotator Cuff and torn long head of the Biceps.  I continue to feel that aerobic exericse in your training zone burns fat and weight lifting maintains and or increases muscle mass that burns calories 24 hours a day.  The aerobic exercise also has the benefit of increasing your HDL( good cholesterol) lowers LDL( bad cholesterol) and lowers triglycerides, the fat globules that circulate in your blood after eating.  The aerobic exercise improves the Heart as a pump, thus lowering you resting heart rate.  You will hear many on this site that advocate fasting, fasting does none of the positives I've just mentioned that aerobic exercise does to improve your overall health, wellness and fitness.  It's up to you to choose what path to follow.