Help! I'm Horrible at Losing Weight

I think there is a big difference between "fatty fish" and "fatty" meats. In the paleo diet it does describe lean meats i.e. venison, 90% fat free hamburger, strip steaks vs Delmonico's; chicken etc. I think the "fatty" fishe realy describes the omega content--I may have read that incorrectly but I think I am close. I googled "paleo diet fatty meat." This was the first link that came up: paleodietlifestyle.com/.../ It's long, but it has a pretty decent discussion of the importance of fats in one's diet and is well worth reading in its entirety. It also notes that there is plenty of dietary variation within the paleo "community."

I think there is a big difference between "fatty fish" and "fatty" meats. In the paleo diet it does describe lean meats i.e. venison, 90% fat free hamburger, strip steaks vs Delmonico's; chicken etc. I think the "fatty" fishe realy describes the omega content--I may have read that incorrectly but I think I am close.

What about... gaining weight in the form of muscle?? Definitely some strategy required to build muscle and lose weight at the same time. If you have low/no body fat, when you add muscle you will gain weight. Muscle is denser and heavier than fat. So, to lose weight, for a unit volume of muscle growth a greater volume of fat loss is required. Just dieting and reducing calories below what you burn without exercise will apparently result in muscle being consumed before fat. Excercise, rest and a quality balanced diet with the right nutrients to build muscle, but not adding excessive calories to be turned into fat, seems important to accomplishing muscle building and weight loss at the same time. Everyone is different (genetics, environment, history, size, body, habits, metabolism, age, condition, goals and desires, etc.), so strategies that work seem to be very personally based. Simply put, to lose weight you have to take-in fewer calories than you burn. To build muscle you have to exercise, eat right, and rest. Doing both requires balance that is often difficult to maintain.

Definitely some strategy required to build muscle and lose weight at the same time. I think he meant gaining weight without an increase in bodyfat percentage (whatever that may be). If that was what he was referring to, then I am in the same boat. I cannot seem to increase from my current 163lbs without increasing bodyfat percentage. Perhaps I should try harder, but food becomes expensive.

What about... gaining weight in the form of muscle??

Help! I'm Horrible at Losing Weight is the latest installment of the "Help! I'm Horrible" series FLUTTER KICK SDK SPEED Many of us want to be thinner. One of the first tips in Swim Faster Faster is: LUG LESS LARD, the positive way to say this is: Be a slimmer swimmer. The fact is, when we swim, we have to drag our bodies through the water and if we have less mass and resistance, we're likely to swim faster. Many of us want to lose weight or have lost weight, some of us kept it off while others lost then gain it all back. The problem with losing weight is I often find it after I lost it. This thread is for us to discuss this issue and act in this arena What works and doesn't? Why do we self sabotage? What's your story? What else? The 4 word DIET from the book "Four Word Self Help: Simple Wisdom for Complex Lives" by Patti Digh is: "EAT LESS MOVE MORE " Losing weight takes a goal / intention, a plan, and action. it takes constant focus and effort. It takes discipline. It takes some being hungry and suffering. We lose weight by burning more than we consume. There's a catch 22 If we starve ourselves and lose weight too quickly our bodies become more efficient at storing fat. It's an emotional area, it's diffucult, it can seem overwhelming, some resort to expensive and possibly dangerous surgery and or plastic surgery. Food is a difficult area, we need it to survive, for energy and repair, but if we eat too much, we store up the excess in the form of fat. If you're a bit too heavy you might benefit from being a slimmer swimmer. You might be healthier and fitter. Use this thread to declare your intention, goal and gain some support. There's many books, methods and programs out there. I'm not offering anyone any sure fire solution here. there's No "lose 20 pounds in 20 days for 20 bucks" scam Many methods work. The simple solutions are: EAT LESS MOVE MORE, Anything we do and measure improves. Anything we focus on improves. Appropriate action and smart choices work Sometimes we perform better with support Increase your resting metabolic rate. Be sensible. Become a fat burning biofurnace. Stop procrastinating, start now you can offer advice, share your story, share your current situation and goal. you can participate or lurk we can celebrate achievement and progress console failure, set backs and disappointment ARE YOU IN? if so please share: name age height weight situation goal plan and post your progress and updates What else? consider weekly pictures or updates chart your journey from before to after. Forgive yourself for mistakes. It took years to put it on, it's likely to take months or years to take it off. Stop procrastinating, start now, don't wait for Monday or some made up starting point. Most importantly: Always always work with your doctor and professionals I hope we go from horrible to excellent, from where we are to optimal. It's fun to be fit fast and healthy. Good luck, Namaste Ande Weighed in this morning under a milestone of 190 lbs. (188 lbs.) that I've been trying to reach - first time under in probably 20+ yrs. Still swimming 3x or 4x about 9k to 12k per week, but have really increased the spinning from 1 per week for 45 min. to about 4x per week, 1 hour each and running about 3 mi 2x per week after spinning. The spinning seems clearly to be building aerobic capacity possibly faster than i was able to in the pool (this is a bit specualtive, but it's what im thinking). I've always felt like my swimming was limited by aerobic capacity, even in HS and college, when i was under 150 and in good shape. Have been troubled by sensitive sinuses and allergies and flirted with asthma over the years. Swimming has always helped and the spinning has definitely helped build aerobic capacity in the pool. Faster swims, less gasp esp. after turns, better speed and longer, harder reps and sets. Hoping to see how this translates to the water at the Uper Main Line Y mini-meet this Sunday and maybe an NQT or two. Weigh in on how you are doing (if you will excuse the pun) Ande wasup with you and your battle?

Both responses above are excellent :D But what I was referring to was that so many people focus on losing weight that they don't take in account the muscle they gain in the process making them actually gain weight! As for me I'm currently inching towards 150 pounds (hopefully muscle!), but I'm almost 18 so I think I'm good (;

"EAT LESS MOVE MORE " /its already posted but this oddly enough it the key here!

My diet: Every meal eat fat, protein, raw fruits and vegetables (in order of calorie quantity). Eat at least 3 or 4 meals Here is the tough one: avoid alcohol

I was at the Boston Science museum recently and they have a new installment which shows people from around the world with the foods they typically eat during a day. It shows total calories, height, weight, age, location, when foods are consumed, etc. There are really some interesting things I picked up on. There was nothing at all to show that calories have anything to do with weight. I have to say, this mirrors what I've seen with my friends and family. Tiny women who were just generally active throughout the day with indoor and outdoor chores could eat as much as 2000 calories more than Sumo wrestlers who worked out for hours. Typical daily calories ranged from 2400-5,000. So, what gives? Here are my observations from the exhibit: - People who had more movement throughout the day fared better than those with large chunks of sedentary time. Even those who worked out or trained regularly. - People who split their meals evenly or ate more foods during the morning and daytime fared better than those who skipped meals or had one large meal with several small meals. It was noted that the secret Sumo wrestlers used to gain weight easily was to workout all morning on nothing but water and tea then feast and relax the rest of their day. Their calories were middle of the road and their nutrition choices were average. - People in warmer climates fared better than those in cooler climates. I'd be interested to find out if this was due to more vitamin D, more outdoor activity or more fresh foods. - People who ate more fresh or "traditionally prepared" foods were far better off than those who included foods distributed for mass consumption. By traditionally prepared I mean: pickled foods, cured meats, breads and cheeses that were made locally seemed to have no negative impact on weight. There was one woman who seemed to subsist on fresh bread, deli meats and cheese alone at a size that appeared healthy. But those who included mass produced breads, mass produced meats, packaged cookies, packaged cakes, cereals, chain restaurant foods, etc fared worse. - Those in northern climates who ate more fish were trimmer than non-fish eating northerners. - Diets with less processed sugar fared better than those who ate more. Copious amounts of fresh fruits and breads seems to have no impact on weight. - Diets without alcohol fared better than those who included it even small amounts. Those who managed to stay lean with the inclusion of alcohol tended to eat much less than the average person. - The amount or ratio of vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy products or meats had so discernible impact on weight. It seemed no number of vegetables could undo the effects of mass produced foods. - The number of calories people eat and have a healthy weight for their height seems to be much higher than diet research would suggest. The takeaway points I got from this: - Never skip meals. - Don't end load your day with most of your food. - Drink less if you want to eat more. - Don't stress about calories - make sure you're eating the best quality food you can and skip sweetened foods (a LITTLE honey or maple syrup seemed fine). - Try to keep yourself moving. You can't undo sitting damage even with the best workouts. - Eat fish (because I'm in the northern part of the states). - Get outside. None of this of course helps loose weight but I think if you view your weight loss as practicing for maintenance, it's still helpful in guiding. Add more habits of successful people and the long term outcome will hopefully be one that has less rebound.