Hey Group
The first diet I ever followed was a simple calorie-counting, low-fat (65:20:15 carb-protein-fats) regime and I lost about ~15 kg simply by eating strictly and doing twice-weekly hour-long aerobic sessions at the gym. I stopped the whole routine and gained back about 4 kg, which I think is not too bad at a BMI of 22.2. The problem is that I've become progressively flabby. I seem to be spreading out like a bag filled with soup - all over the place, hanging off the edges - even though my scale weight stays stable in the 48-50kg range. (I'm 1.5m tall.)
I'm fairly sedentary nowadays (besides the pencil-pushing) and I'm just reading up on dieting and weight-loss so I can make some small changes to diet and activity, just to tighten up, maybe even aim for a BMI of 19, which boils down to a weight-loss goal of about 5 kg. Of course, I don't want to sacrifice what itty-bitty bit of muscle I have left, so I want to do this the smart way.
So please scrutinise the following, my attempt at the basics of dieting, and criticise with a fell hand. Thanks in advance.
To lose weight, your daily caloric expenditure must exceed your caloric intake. Caloric expenditure = basal metabolism rate (BMR) + energy required for additional physical activities like walking, brushing your teeth, exercise etc. However, your body adapts when you lower your caloric intake by lowering your BMR, destroying whatever deficit there was in the first place. So you have to elevate your caloric expenditure by doing physical activity. That means, if you decide to maintain a 250-calorie deficit per day, you daily have to do some form of activity (read 'exercise'
that will expend 250 calories. Exercise is the best option for this expenditure.
There are three types of exercise: aerobic, anaerobic or weight-training and stretching (Pilates, yoga etc.). Anaerobic exercise will build muscle and because increased muscle mass increases your BMR, it should accelerate weight loss on the usual regime. Aerobic exercise (duration of +45min) puts the big leg muscles to work and because muscles prefer fatty acids, it will mobilise fat stores, increase the level of fat-burning and mobilizing enzymes and burn fat. Stretching like yoga doens't have a note-worthy impact on caloric expenditure, but stretching the muscles and twisting the spine does seem to have an endocrine and lymphatic effect and other questionable claims like increased flexibility and faster muscle recouperation after weight-training. Increased flexibility decreases the risk for joint-injury, which is high in aerobic and anaerobic exercise, so it's still invaluable to the exercise regime. Aerobic and stretching should be done daily, anaerobic every other day. I'm aiming to walk briskly for four times a week, do yoga five times a week and spot-train two times - it doesn't work, but it builds muscle nonetheless.
When it comes to diet, a calorie is not a calorie and certain combinations of calories are disastrous. E.g. a high-fat, high-carb meal, like french fries, is a no-no. The carbs spike up insulin and with its anabolic effect, the fat goes straight to flab central. The body burns carbs-proteins-fats in that order. If you're going to eat a lot of carbs, you'll have to cut down on the proteins and fats. Excess calories (carbs and proteins) become fat. However, fat is essential in diet for a feeling of satiety. Besides, in a low-fat, high-carb diet, the fat mobilising enzymes are down-regulated and the body will then be more prone to building up fat stores. In a diet with more ample fat intake, those same enzymes are upregulated. The more fat your body gets, the more willing it is to give up the fat it has. The ideal is to calorie-count while regulating insulin levels and not combining carbs and fats in excess. So, ultimately, the glycemic index should be the guideline for meals. I'm considering eating cereal/oats, dairy and/or fruits and veggies for breakfast, some sort of grain with something proteiny or fatty like tuna, eggs or olives for lunch and a supper of a generous portion of meat with a generous helping of green veggies. I realise there are benefits to having smaller meals, but in my routine it is impossible. No snacks. Also, refined foods are kept to a minimum.
Now when you start losing weight, your body produces cortisol, a stress hormone with a catabolic effect that green-lights your body to leech your muscle tissue. Insulin counters the effect of cortisol. So not being too stingy on the carbs has some due benefits. Another consideration: supplement with an ECA stack.
Thanks for any critique.
