Author Topic: !! Learn About Your Body !!  (Read 10306 times)

Offline PhillyPUFF

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I've been a member on this board since February, and I just scrolled down far enough to realize this section even existed.  :D Anyway, here is some information to better help you understand how our bodies work. I haven't outlined an exact eating or workout regemin, but these are basic principles that stay true no matter what regemin you end up following. Hope this helps.


Some things to understand

- Our bodies are absolutely amazing "machines" who's only goal is survival.

 - Our bodies are continually trying to stay in a state of homeostasis, or balance.

- Everyone is on a diet. Even that 500lb guy sitting at KFC right now. His diet happens to consist of fried chicken and saturated fat. Don't use the word diet when changing your dietary habits. Using the phrase "I'm on a diet" sounds like something that's temporary. To be fit, you need to make permanent changes.

 - A calorie is a measurement of energy. Everyone has a maintenance level of calories (or a certain amount of energy) that your body needs everyday to perform its regular functions, and maintain it's current weight. If you eat your maintenance level of calories, you will not gain or lose any weight. When you eat too many calories (too much energy), your body has no use for that energy, and the remainder is stored as body fat. Now its not as black and white as this, but for the sake of this post:

IF YOU EAT MORE CALORIES THAN YOUR BODY NEEDS, THE REMAINDER WILL BE STORED AS BODYFAT.

 - That being said, in order to lose weight, you must create a calorie deficit (energy deficit). What does this mean? This means you must expend (use up) more calories than your body needs. This puts your body in an energy deficit, and your body now needs to get that energy from somewhere else. What better source of energy than stored body fat? When you expend (use up) more calories than your body needs, your body is forced to get energy from another source, and will tap into your stored body fat for energy. Careful though. You dont want to just stop eating all together and expect to lose weight. When you stop eating, or start eating very few calories, your body adjusts to that, and you begin metabolizing food at a slower rate (your metabolism slows down). You don't want this. Its easier to eat a balanced diet and create the calorie deficit through exercise. Sure, you will need to drop some calories from your diet, but you should concentrate on exercising more. I've also found that staggering your calories works well and keeps your body guessing. So,

THE ONLY WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT, IS TO CREATE A CALORIE DEFECIT.


 - Gaining weight is quite the opposite operation. In order to gain weight (muscle), you must consume more calories than your body uses up. Again this is not as black and white as that, but to gain weight, you must consume more calories than your body needs.


The truth about some myths
- Sit-ups do not give you a "six pack." No ab roller, ab cruncher, ab flex, or good old fashion sit ups will give you a six-pack. Everyone on earth has a six-pack, if you cant see it, it is because your body fat percentage% is too high. So, in order to get a six pack, you must fall below a certain level of body fat. These numbers aren't exact, but Men need to fall below 6-7%, and Women need to fall below 8-9% body fat. (Please Note that doing crunches, weight crunches, rope pulldowns, etc WILL make your ab muscles larger, but if you dont get your bodyfat down low enough you wont see your 'six pack')

 - Fat Burners don't "burn" fat. Remember the whole calorie deficit thing you just read about? Well creating a calorie deficit is the only way to "burn" fat. Fat burners do have their place if the rest of your diet and training are in check. Most contain ingredients that will increase your metabolic rate by a few% so you will burn more calories, as well as help suppress appetite.

 - Carbohydrates do not make you fat! That's right, read it again, CARBOHYDRATES DO NOT MAKE YOU FAT! Remember the whole eat more calories than your body needs to gain weight schpeel a few paragraphs up? Well the only way you'll gain weight is by eating more calories than your body needs. These calories MIGHT come from carbohydrates, but they may also come from fats and proteins. This is not black and white either, and a further explanation will probably put you to sleep, but for the sake of this article: the only way you will gain weight is by eating more calories than your body needs (google insulin and insulin response if your really interested in learning more about how carbs get attributed to weight gain). Carbohydrates are not required by the body to survive, so they are generally the first macronutrient to be dropped from ones diet. Also carbohydrates are the body's main source of energy, so when they are not present, fat is burned for energy.


Putting it all together
- Understand that being fit and staying healthy requires a change in your lifestyle.

- Make gradual changes in your life. Don't plan on waking up tomorrow and having a pristine diet, and going to the gym twice a day. Slowly wean off sweets/sugars/processed foods/sodas, basically any type of "junk food" (it doesn't take rocket science to figure out that things like candy bars and soda are no good for your physique)

- Try to eat everything in its most natural form. Fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, no pre-packaged high sodium bullshit. Also, use "nutrition bars" and other things of that source as last resort.

- Whether you are trying to gain or lose weight, realize that it takes time. You should aim for a gain or loss of only 1-2lbs per week. If your goal is to lose weight, and you drastically cut calories too quick, you'll probably burn hard earned muscle, and your body will most likely fall into "survival mode" and it will hold onto its precious fat stores. If you're trying to gain weight, in the form of muscle, follow the same guideline of a 1-2lb increase per week. Any more than this and you'll most likely be putting on unwanted fat that's going to have to be stripped off during your cutting phase.

- There are roughly 3500 calories in 1 pound, so a weight loss of 1-2lbs, is 3500-7000 calories per week. I always recommend increasing your energy output (exercise), instead of drastically cutting calories. Trust me, mentally its much easier to create a calorie deficit by exercising more, rather than cutting calories very low.

- There's a lot more to say, but I will leave you with all that to think about. Feel free to contact me with any questions about anything, I will be glad to help you.
« Last Edit: June 09, 2008, 02:58:54 PM by PhillyPUFF »

Offline Grandpa Bambu

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It's all just common sense really...  ;)

I am 230 lbs. Recently, I was 240  :-[. I am in rough shape. However.... I have decided to take myself in a different direction. I have re-joined AA (drank way too much), have cut out all junk foods and have started an exercise program. Feeling better everyday.  :D


GB
Surgery: February 16, 2005. - Toronto, Ontario Canada.
Surgeon: Dr. John Craig Fielding   M.D.   F.R.C.S. (C) (416.766.8890)
Pre-Op/Post-Op Pics

Offline PhillyPUFF

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Great to hear man. Keep up the good work!

Offline Grandpa Bambu

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The only prob for me is that I fall off the healthy living wagon after a few months...   :-\

I have to learn to stick with it...  I guess giving it another shot is better than not trying at all huh?

GB

Offline PhillyPUFF

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I guess giving it another shot is better than not trying at all huh?

GB

Yeah man, giving it another shot is certainly worth it. The key is to change your lifestyle in a manner thats sustainable, so that you don't want to give it up after a few months. Allow yourself to have treats. Some people set aside a 'cheat day' where they eat foods that might otherwise be 'off limits'. I used to do this as well, but I used to end up going overboard and practically binging on my cheat day. Now I just allow myself to have treats whenever I want them (which is barely ever). Its kind of like reverse physcology on yourself. Tell yourself you can have it, and you wont want it. Good luck GB! I have faith brother.

Offline RickWalia007

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1 question i went on a diet of 2 weeks and i didnt eat anything i lost 20 pounds quick i only ate a apple a day or a bit more but i ate lipo - 6 with that it didnt make me hungry but then after 2 weeks i went to burger king i started pigging out and i quit takin lipo - 6 now im back to weight but i lose a lot of muscle wat do i to get back all muscle i lost

Offline jackanonymous

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rick, you made a huge mistake in the first place. To answer your question- weight training = muscle.
I advice you to consult with a dietologist/gym coach or buy a book for more info on weight loss and keeping muscle

Offline PhillyPUFF

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1 question i went on a diet of 2 weeks and i didnt eat anything i lost 20 pounds quick i only ate a apple a day or a bit more but i ate lipo - 6 with that it didnt make me hungry but then after 2 weeks i went to burger king i started pigging out and i quit takin lipo - 6 now im back to weight but i lose a lot of muscle wat do i to get back all muscle i lost

Your goal shouldn't be to lose 'weight', you should be more interested in losing 'bodyfat'. As you can see, although you lost a lot of 'weight' it was mostly in the form of muscle. You want to try and maintain as much muscle as possible. Muscle not only looks better, but the more muscle you have, the more calories your body requires, and in turn, the more you can eat without getting FAT. Read my post up at the top again. Remember, your body's only goal is survival. Unfortunately for us, our bodies PREFER to store bodyfat. Its a great source of 'reserve' energy in case calories are not present.

To gain muscle you need to lift weights. Lifting weights doesn't actual 'build' the muscle though. It gives your body a reason to grow. Remember the whole survival thing? When you lift weights, you put your muscles under stress. Since your body only cares about survival, it thinks to itself, 'let me re-grow bigger and stronger so that if i get put under this stress in the future, ill be able to SURVIVE'. Lifting the weight is only half the equation. You then need to provide your body with the building blocks (food) in order to build this new muscle. (you cant build a house without any bricks, wood, nails, etc) Same concept. Your diet should be high in protein. Every meal should have protein in it. (start out by shooting for 1gram of protein / lb of bodyweight....so if you weigh 160lbs you should get 160grams of protein/day) You should also have a moderate amount of complex carbs/healthy fats.

Listen i'll see if I can dig up an exact eating / workout regemin to follow. Just re-read my post here and my post up at the top, and really understand all the concepts of how your body works. This will make it much easier when implementing any kind of workout regemin.

Good Luck - TRAIN HARD

irish lad

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good post..im currently studying health nd fitness you speak the truth lol  ;)

Offline fed-up

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Surgery performed by Alex Karidis - 11/09/08

Offline moobius

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theres much more to the picture than that... but, thats a nice, basic, breakdown which would help get the average joe started in the right direction

Offline PhillyPUFF

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theres much more to the picture than that... but, thats a nice, basic, breakdown which would help get the average joe started in the right direction

For sure. Remember we're not on a bodybuilding board here. Most people don;t know the last thing about diet/training. How long you been training man?

Offline moobius

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havent' trained seriously in the last 2 yrs, but prior to that about ~ 9yrs

Offline PhillyPUFF

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havent' trained seriously in the last 2 yrs, but prior to that about ~ 9yrs

Good sh*t man. I've been training about 5 years. Only the last two years 'seriously' and 'informed' tho. Transforming your body and making progress in the gym beats every drug in the book. How old are you BTW? Anyway, good luck on your journey.

Offline moobius

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im 28, and i've learned through my trials and tribulations that knowledge is far more effective in the long run than any pill/powder/oil/spray/rub/etc...  you can be taking handfuls of supps daily and if you don't know what you're doing your just going to end up, not only wasting your money, but more importantly: wasting your time (if not your health)...



 

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