Q&A for: 18-Feb-07
2010. Q:
lose 20 lbs
A:
Please read my weight loss article.
2011. Q:
You say in your articles that to lose body fat, apart from doing intense exercise like weightlifting and some cardio – most importantly you need to eat less. What do you do if like me, you tried eating less and started to feel really hungry. Is it possible to eat enough to not feel hungry and faint – from lack of energy and yet lose weight?
A:
You certainly shouldn't eat so little that you feel faint. Some hunger is likely but it should not be overwhelming. As I say in my articles you should only try to lose one pound (or less) per week, so you only need to cut calories a little.
Another important point is the choice of foods. It's very easy to eat 1000 calories worth of, say, cake -- but you are virtually guaranteed to be hungry again in an hour or sooner! On the other hand, if you somehow managed to eat 1000 calories worth of plain old-fashioned oatmeal (not that I am suggesting you do that!) you can be quite sure you won't feel like eating anything else for hours! You should strive to eat balanced meals that are rich in protein and healthy fats and have some healthy fiberous carbs (like whole grains or vegetables). You need to avoid sugary or highly processed carbs because these are not only conducive to fat gains but also will not keep you full for long. All my sample meals in the Nutrition article and elsewhere in the site are designed to have the write balance and combination of foods to keep you sated and energetic as long as possible, calorie for calorie.
2012. Q:
My calorie intake is 2182 a day... how many carb grams should I take in??????
A:
Getting somewhere around 40% of your calories from carbs is a good rule of thumb for most situations which for you corresponds to 872 carb calories or about 220 grams of carbs daily.
2013. Q:
Ragarding #2005:
My earlier weight was incorrect. according to my recent physical, I weigh near 158# and height of 68inches so bmi is 24. I guess I do not have alot of room for gain before hitting 25bmi near 164#. So what would you suggest I do to lose the fat but get leaner? I am a newbie and did not understand what you meant by, 'So one strategy would simply be cycling between 21 and 25 or so BMI, every time gaining more muscle and losing more fat'...
A:
What I meant is you could go a few months slowly losing weight (while eating healthy and working out, of course) until you hit around 140 pounds (BMI 21 for your height) and then switch gears, increase calories and healthy carbs and protein and even slower start gaining weight (again, while weight training of course) and putting on muscle till you hit around 160 pounds. The idea is that while losing weight you lose mostly fat and while gaining weight you'll gain mostly muscle. So after one such complete cycle of weight loss followed by weight gain you'll be leaner and more muscular.
For example, say you are 160 pounds now with 20% body fat (or 32 pounds of body fat). A successful 4-5 months 'cut' will take you down to 140 pounds by losing 14 pounds of fat and 6 pounds of muscle. Then a 8-9 months 'bulk' will take you back to 160 pounds by adding 12 pounds of muscle and 8 pounds of fat. Now you'd have only 28 pounds of fat bringing your body fat to about 16%. Then you can repeat this cycle again and lower your body fat again while returning to the same body weight. This is how you can over time lose fat and gain muscle. Exact numbers will of course depend a ton of factors, but the general approach is as I described.
2014. Q:
Hey, I've lost a lot of weight over the last couple of years but I've been struggling with the last 15 for quiet a while now. I'm 19 and currently weigh 148 at 5'5. I'm extremely busy with work and college at the moment and so I usually can get in 2 moderate intensity workouts a week. I eat pretty healthy...I make sure I get all my calcium through fat-free milk or fat-free cheese....I eat vegetables and a fruit each day, my grains are all whole-grains, I eat lean meats for protein such as lean turkey, tuna or tilapia fish, and chicken breasts. My portions are small as well, I dont count calories but I occasionally will add up everything at the end of the day just for an idea and my calories usually range from 900 - 1200, which is why I'm pretty sure my diet is low calorie. I also watch my fat intake and sugar intake to keep them low. I also make sure to get in 8 - 10 cups of water a day. But I'm stuck. In the last 2 wks I lost ONE lb. ONE. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong or what I could improve on. Help?
A:
Congrats on your recent weight loss! But to tackle those last 15 pounds you need to change your strategy. Right now you are eating way too little. Your body responds by going into 'starvation' mode and tries to hang on to the remaining fat at all costs. If you a woman you should eat AT LEAST 1500 calories daily and more if you are a man. This will rev your metabolism back up and eventually restart fat burning.
So I recommend you make an effort to eat more and be sure to include healthy fats in your diet -- they will not only add much-needed calories but will actually help you burn fat. Check out my Nutrition article if you haven't already for ideas on healthy fats.
As you slowly ramp your calories up to 1500 (and hopefully beyond) it's possible that you'll gain a couple pounds -- don't let that scare you. Once your metabolism wakes back up the fat-burning will restart and you'll lose them (and more) again. Good luck!
2015. Q:
I am 46 year old male 6foot 1 inches tall. How much should I weigh?
A:
Anywhere between 155 and 185 pounds would be considered healthy weight for you.
2016. Q:
Response to question 2006. I was just worried about overtraining. So you think it is ok to continue on that program for another eight weeks? That would be about twenty four weeks of a heavy volume program. Thanks again
A:
Yes, that should be fine. If you continue to see progress, are enjoying your workouts, and not feeling any signs of overtraining (getting sick or injured) then there is nothing wrong with giving it another go.
2017. Q:
Hi Mike, I have high blood pressure. I'm a 16 year old male, 218 lbs, 5'11 height. My question is, what is your perspective on garlic. I've read up on it a lot, saying it contains allicin, a thing that can help lower blood pressure. According to this site, http://www.thedietchannel.com/Are-Garlic-Pills-Good-For-Lowering-Cholestrol.htm , garlic cloves are the best way to go, which I am planning to start eating to lower blood pressure. If I start eating about 2 garlic cloves a day, along with diet and exercise, will it help lower my blood pressure? (And possibly lose weight?)
A:
Garlic is certainly a healthy food, but I am usually very skeptical of claims that any one food can cause significant improvement in your health. However the second part of what you wrote -- diet and exercise -- can certainly go a very long way towards both lowering your blood pressure and helping you lose weight. So I would focus on exercise and starting on a balanced healthy diet (with plenty of garlic, if you'd like) and sticking with it for good. Good luck!
2018. Q:
im a girl and like i want muscles on my arm only, but do you have to eat to get muscles?
A:
For serious muscles it certainly helps a whole lot to eat enough to gain some weight. In your case however, you probably are not looking to gain so much muscle, so some arm exercises are all you really need -- check out my Essential Exercises page and look for Arm exercises.
2019. Q:
Hi Mike,
I'm 16 this year, i weigh 59kg and i'm 1.77 tall. I play street soccer for 1 hour for at least 4 days a week and i have soccer training maybe 2-3 days in a week. And sometimes i go to the gym only twice a week or only once, i am trying to get a clearer 6 pec as mine is not very well build. So i'm at a lost as i'm not so free going to the gym more than 3 times a week, please advice.
Rgrds
Andrew
A:
As far as exercise goes you are already getting more than enough -- great job! So I would recommend making sure that your diet is as good as your exercise program. Read my Nutrition article to make sure your eating the good stuff and not the junk. Don't worry about how much you eat -- just make sure that what you do eat is healthy.
2022. Q:
I've been dieting and working out for a month and a half now, and I am starting to notice that my stomach is starting to seperate, the top from the bottom. I was wondering is that good or am I not doing something that I should be doing?
A:
I am not sure exactly what you mean but in either case fat loss = success! If you mean that you can see the outlines of your abdominal six-pack, then you are certainly doing great and must be really close to your final goal. If you mean that you've noticed that your losing fat from the middle of your stomach, then that can be perfectly fine too -- different people store and lose fat differently and there is nothing you can do to change exactly where it happens. Just keep on going and losing fat!
2025. Q:
Type your question here and click Submit.i want to lose 30 pounds so i can look
better i want to lose it in a month i want it to be safe and easy and i want it without all the diet shakes and diet food how can i do it.
A:
Sorry, trying to lose 30 pounds in a month is unrealistic and certainly unhealthy. The only way you could accomplish something like that is by going on a starvation diet which will result in only little fat loss, a lot of meaningless water loss, and a lot of harmful muscle loss. At the end you won't look much better and you'll be all but guaranteed to gain all that weight back when you start eating normally again because your metabolism will be shot and your muscle mass -- which is your best ally in losing fat -- will be decreased.
Instead of trying to lose a lot of weight quickly, you should strive for a healthy balanced approach to fat loss where you lose about 1 pound per week (2 pounds is OK if you are badly overweight). Please read my weight loss article and good luck!
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