Q&A for: 30-Sep-05
609. Q:
608Q I didnt need to lose 30 pounds. I lost just 17 pounds.I went from 219 (28.7% BC) to 202(18.3%) by losing 26 pounds of fat and gaining 9 pounds of muscle.It took about 6 months and that was with hardly any weighttraining.
A:
Congratulations on that fat loss! The numbers you sited (26 pounds of fat lost, 9 pounds of muscle gaines in 6 months) are just about ideal. You couldn't ask for a better progress. I am very surprised you were able to accomplish this without weight training -- what was your routine and your diet like?
610. Q:
Hey Mike, I am the person from question 601. I found out my really bad problem that was hazardous to my health. I went from no exercise(literally no exercise) to running 4 blocks nonstop! I found out I need to make 'progression' in my exercise. How can I get into beter shape slowly so I would be able to run 4 blocks without getting sick? I am considering for myself to do a brisk walk for 5 miles everyday until it becomes comfortable everyday. What are your reactions to this? I am willing to take your advice :)
A:
It sounds like you're sprinting (running all out as fast as you can) for those 4 blocks and just exhaust yourself after a minute or two. Instead you should find a pace that you can sustain for at least 5-10 minutes. That means starting off MUCH slower than you do now, just barely running/jogging, and maintaining that pace for the duration. Brisk walks will help you too, but if it's specifically running that you want to improve in, then running is what you should do most. Start running at very slow pace, maybe barely faster than walking, but keep that pace up for as long as you can. Then once you get comfortable with that, increase the pace slightly. This way you'll build up your running endurance.
The other thing to consider, if you're trying to lose some fat, is to improve your diet and do at lest some weighttraining. For the diet, at your age you don't need to go on any severe calorie restriction, but you should make good choices about the food that you eat. Eat LOTS and LOTS of veggies, especially green ones like spinach, lettuce, broccoli, green beans, etc. Eat whole fruit instead of drinking juices. Cut out all sodas, diet or otherwise. Eat sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes or corn. Cut out breakfast cereals and white bread/pasta/rice -- instead eat whole grains like oatmeal, brown rice, or at least whole-wheat bread or pasta. Cut out fast food and junk foods -- no more burgers, pizza, hot dogs, chips, fries, etc. Eat only lean meats, chicken, and fish -- not greasy fatty hamburgers. Don't use commercial salad dressings -- instead use a little olive oil with vinegar and herb to taste. All these small changes will add up to make a huge difference over time.
Since you're only 14, your weight training should be limited and under supervision of an adult. You can certainly do something like this at home. If you'll be going to the gym you'll definitely need adult supervision and you should make sure you do not push yourself too hard in the gym -- an injury can screw up your growth! Read my Weighttraining article but keep in mind that the advice about going to failure on exercise should not apply to somebody under 16.
Between more running, eating better, and doing weight training you'll bring yourself into good shape in a matter of months and GREAT shape in a matter of couple of years. Good luck!
611. Q:
Q 609: I have to admit that my genetic predisposition to being slender was an important factor.My diet was just a basic avoidance of junk food and fast food.I didnt avoid of the healthy foods that are considered fattening like potatoes,fruit juices etc.A diet like that would be too strict for me.I basically did 45 minutes of cardio followed by lower body weight training every other day.but this routine and diet is longer helping me lose weight or fat.
So I have decided to replace some hi-glycemic carbs with low ones like brown rice and wholehweat pasta and added upperbody weightraining.
A:
Thanks for posting your program! It sounds like you're doing all the right things and you certainly deserve a lot of credit for doing lower-body weight training -- it is usually quite a bit more painful and less fun than upper body :) Of course it's also highly effective since your legs are where half or more of your muscles are.
It's completely normal that the less fat you have, the harder it is to continue losing it. If you find that your diet approach and whole-body weight training isn't enough, you may want to consider planning out the amounts of food you eat and keep closer track of calories. Good luck!
612. Q:
why shouldn't a person lift weights first thing in the morning?
A:
It's very important to have a good breakfast before working out in the morning. This is true even if you're trying to lose fat. I explain the reasons in Q&A #159.
613. Q:
My goal was to lose 8 pounds by October 19th, and so far I have lost about 3 of it in two weeks, but last week I sprained both my ankles and my sciatica is really acting up due to my new job so I haven't worked out this week at all. Does that mean I will probably not reach my goal because this past week was dormant?
A:
Sorry to hear about your injury problems. The kinds of injuries/aches you have are not to be messed with so you're definitely doing the right thing taking time off gym. Whether you'll meet your goal or not is hard to say. You were certainly on track before the injuries. Metabolic benefits of heavy weight workouts can easily last past one week, so just because you take this week off doesn't mean you'll definitely miss your goal. Also, if you find that sciatica subsides, you should be able to return to gym for at least upper body training. Either you or you doctor will need to make the call as far as lower body training but between sciatica and sprained ankles it's probably wise to take it very slow with lower body.
If you find that you're unable to return to the gym for more than a week, you can cut down your calories slightly -- try to make that change at the expense of carbs. A good way of doing it would be to replace a starchy carb food (rice, potatoes, bread, pasta) with some light veggies in one or two meals. On the whole though, don't worry too much about the exact dates and numbers of pounds (stress is bad when losing fat!) but just get better and do your best with diet and exercise. You may reach your goal by Oct 19 or you might reach it a week or two later -- either way you'll succeed! Good luck!
614. Q:
What is it about the color green that makes vegetables so special? I know the green ones particularly are packed with vitamins, but why green? And what do you think about okra, asparagus, and marinated artichoke hearts?
A:
I just like using the term 'green veggies' so people don't get tempted to go for corn and potatoes whenever I recommend eating vegetables :) Peppers of all colors, carrots, radishes, tomatoes, and all sorts of other non-green veggies are all great too. So are the veggies you mentioned. There's no such thing as a veggie that's bad for you though corn and potatoes should certainly be limited when trying to lose fat. Aside from them though, go absolutely crazy with all the veggies you want!
615. Q:
What do you know about EGCG? Do you know if it works in boosting metabolism?
A:
EGCG is a naturally occuring antioxidant found in grape seeds, green tea, and pine bark. In addition to its role as an antioxidant it received a lot of press as a calorie burner which I have no reason to doubt. My only two concerns with it as a metabolism booster are the same as with any other supplement:
1. Is it as safe/effective in a processed supplement form as it is in its natural form?
2. Will it burn the 'right' calories?
The first question stems from my very strong conviction that eating 'real' foods is by far the best approach to both health and fitness. If you are concerned with, say, vitamin C intake and can eat a naturally occuring food that contains 1000mg of vitamin C versus taking 1000mg of synthetic vit C in a pill, I'll always always always tell you to eat the food and not the pill. So in case of EGCG my recommendation is to drink green tea to your heart's content, but go easy with pills that claim to contain EGCG.
The second question has to do with the fact that all research about metabolism boosters makes no attempt to distinguish where the extra calories are coming from? And I am fairly certain that the answer is if you already happen to be in severe caloric deficit which is forcing your body to burn both fat and muscle for energy, then taking any metabolism booster on top of it, will just exacerbate the situation by burning even more of your precious muscle instead of fat.
So what does all this mean for EGCG? Simply that my recommendation would be to get it the natural way, through green tea or perhaps grapeseed oil. Don't count on supplements to make a huge difference and certainly don't expect them to make up for a deficient diet and/or exercise program.
616. Q:
In your opinion what classifies a person as having 'superior genetics'?
A:
I'm using the term 'superior genetics' in the way it's used in the bodybuilding community. It means somebody who is naturally predisposed to being lean, and/or who can put on muscle easily without gaining much fat. It is a term that's thrown about a little too liberally and I may well be guilty of that too. But it is undeniable that certain people are able to stay much leaner or lose fat faster than their peers despite similar diets and lifestyles. It's equally undeniable that some people (often the same ones who can stay lean easily) will gain muscle at much faster rate and for longer than their peers following the same exercise routine.
By no means is the term meant to signify somebody's superiority in any other respect than being able to keep fat off and/or put muscle on. Similarly by no means should this term be used as any kind of reason or excuse for lack of progress except, perhaps, by those who've put in a dozen years of hard diet and workouts. Absolutely all people who have less than 6-8 years of fitness and diet experience can make progress in their body composition and strength if they put their minds to it. 'I have bad genetics' is no excuse.
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