Q&A for: 18-Jul-06
1667. Q:
I read in a book that eating just 100 calories over daily calorie requirements can cause a weight gain of 2 pounds or a kilo in a year. How can you accurately and simply work out the calories you need daily.
A:
Don't worry about counting your calories daily -- it's neither practical nor possible. Instead get a weight scale and monitor your weight over time. Weigh yourself 1-2 times a week, first thing in the morning, on empty stomach right after using the bathroom and before eating or drinking anything -- that's the only time to get a truly reliable measure. You'll notice that your weight might bounce around by a pound or two from weighing to weighing and that's normal. But if you see a 5+ pound gain over a long time that's when you need to make changes -- start eating healthier foods, reduce portion sizes, and take up exercise more. Those simply changes will lose the newly-gained five pounds in a month or so very easily.
1668. Q:
how do i lose my man boobs
A:
Please read this article.
1669. Q:
my measuremnets of my hips is 38 but thats because of fat. I want to know can I achieve that size with just muscle? I am 5'2 with a small frame.
A:
If you're a teenager and still growing, then it's certainly possible. For example, for a six-foot man in good physical shape it'd be typical to have 32-34 inch waist and 36-38 inch hips. But if you are an adult and no longer growing, then it's unlikely you'll have 38 inch hip measurement unless fat contributes a lot to that measure.
1670. Q:
Mike, I just registered on your website: now what? Everything seems the same.
A:
Thanks for registering! I recommend reading my nutrition and weight training articles first to learn the basics and then you can fill out the fitness guide to get a custom diet and exercise program for yourself.
1671. Q:
Mike, I have tried eating olive oil but it is just too disgusting. I was just looking over your fitness guide and it says that other types of oil can be substituted for olive oil. Can this be true? What might be the next best oil that hopefully does not taste as bad.
A:
Olive oil is somewhat unique amongst oils in that it consists of primarily monounsaturated fats. These are very heart-healthy fats that would ideally make up most of your fat intake. Virtually all other oils are mainly polyunsaturated fats which are not bad in themselves but not ideal to consume in large quantities. So in my view, any oil you substitute for olive oil will be a bit of a step down health-wise. However even other oils aren't horrible for you and certainly make for healthier salad dressings than the processed commercial ranch/caesar/thousand island/etc ones you buy in the store.
If you're willing to give olive oil another chance, then you could try to make your own olive oil dressing by adding some herbs and spices -- for example, check out this recipe.
If you've completely given up on olive oil, then feel free to substitute which oil you think taste best in its place (canola, sunflower, vegetable, etc). When you do this, try to incorporate other foods rich in monounsaturated fats -- avocados and almonds, for example -- into your diet. It's not going to make a huge difference in your appearence, but in the long run your heart will thank you for including healthy monounsaturated foods in your diet.
Of course, always exercise portion control when eating fatty foods, even if they're healthy. So instead of using two tablespoons of olive oil you might only use one tablespoon of other oil of your choice and add half an avocado to your diet for that or some other meal to keep the overall calories about the same.
1672. Q:
Sorry, I should have included this in my last question, but what if one eats tuna fish (drained) that has been packed in oil instead of water. I eat water-packed tuna every day so might this be acceptable?
A:
Sure, water-packed tuna is a very healthy food. It doesn't really make a complete meal by itself, but it's a great protein source that can be combined with other foods for a complete meal.
Just a note that tuna (especially albacore tuna) is known to contain mercury, so it's generally not recommended to be eaten every day for a long time. So if you want to play extra-safe you might want to substitute something else (lean chicken breast, for example) for tuna half of the time.
1673. Q:
How do you make your man boobs smaller
A:
Please read this article.
1674. Q:
I'm 50 and have been working out steadliy with weights for over ten yers. I'm now outting on the spare tire and desperately want to get rid of it, helpi
A:
Unfortunately staying in top shape becomes harder and harder as we age, but you need not give up. I don't know exactly your training and diet program, so can't make specific recommendations, but in general you want to make sure your weight training and your diet are as good as they can be -- check out the linked articles and see if you can pick up some tips from them. Especially focus on the diet -- that's the thing that can use biggest improvement for most people.
Also take up some form of cardio for 1-2 hours per week if you don't do it already and feel free to post your existing training and diet program here -- I'll see if I can make specific suggestions.
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