TheChosen1
08-18-2003, 06:39 PM
I recently read the thread about the Adkin's Diet and I posted a brief reply. It was about to become a lengthy one but I decided to use it for another thread, in hope that it can be helpful to all of whom would like to lose weight. Over the years of training, I've learned alot about dieting, training, and above all, nutritional supplementations. Personally, I've lost hundreds of pounds of weight both naturally and with the use of drugs (both doctor prescribed and self prescribed). Yet, this is something that I've learned and often explained to people whom I've trained or assisted in the gym:
Several years ago, I was watching wrestling and I remember a sport commentator was interviewing a wrestler (who was never a favorite of mine) named Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. At the end of the interview, the commentator asked Steamboat to end the interview with some advice and Steamboat said, "FEED THE MUSCLE, NOT THE FAT."
So on that note, I extend the advice with this equation:
Protein feeds muscle. Carbs feed energy. However, if you don't use up the energy, it becomes stored energy, which in short is called FAT. So in order to lose that "stored energy", you must use it.
Believe it or not, losing weight is more common sense than diet or exercise. That's not to say that diet and exercise is not needed. I'll explain later. We always see NEW products or machines coming out that promise to help you lose weight. But here's where the common sense comes in. How many people do you know who has lost weight from using their AB MASTER? Hmmmmm!!! How many people do you know who has lost weight and kept it off from using DIET ONE, DIET FAST, or SLIM FAST? I see. Enough said.
I lost 60 pounds in a little over 4 months back in 1996 when I was concentrating on bodybuilding training. Alot of my coworkers, especially the overweight ones, praised me for my efforts and accomplishments. While I accomplished my goal with plenty of diet and exercise, I also used nutritional supplements. But a coworker of mine who was only mildly overweight often asked me, "Do you have something to help you burn bodyfat?" I would reply, "Sure, this right here. Works great." I would show her what I was using and she would ask, "How does it work?" I reply, "Easy, I like to take it before my workouts and it kicks the fats' asset." Then she asked the dumbest question of the century......."You have to exercise to use this?"
#1] COMMON SENSE........If you sat on your butt and gained weight, there is no way in hell for you to sit on your butt to lose weight. What goes up must come down. Not go up more.
So it's easy. In order to lose the weight, you'll have to use more calories and consumer less calories. I know, easier said than done, right? Guess again. Think about this. Let's say you're hungry. How much food does it take for you to be content? Not full or bloated until you have to unbutton your pants. Just content. That's the whole secret to losing weight. Yours truly went through that for years. I would go to your typical fast food restaurant and order everything in extra large just to make sure I have enough food to be full for hours. In a half hour, I'm removing my clothes and slumping down on my sofa or in my bed because I'm too full to move. So, as I once told a coworker of mine, there's a difference between being hungry enough to eat a horse and greedy enough to go to a horse race track to hunt for dinner.
#2] COMMON SENSE: Eat as much as you need, not as much as you can.
Lastly, I'm not saying that you can't eat the things that you like to eat. Just minimize them. You'll be surprised how easy you can change your lifestyle once you've put your mind to it. I used to go to Baskin & Robbins every week for their 2 for $6 special and chow down on both quarts during my 2 days off from work. But I had a taste for ice cream about a month ago and, low and behold, those 2 quarts have been in my freezer eversince......LOL. I think I ate about 3 spoons from one then saved it.
To sum this up, it is more of a lifestyle than anything. Once you find a diet that works for you and an exercise that works for you, STICK WITH IT.
For a real good plan, check out www.bodyforlife.com. It's not my site but it's a plan that I've followed for a while now. No secrets to it, just plain COMMON SENSE.
And in case you're wondering, ......I managed to keep the weight off for about 2 years. But that was because after losing the weight, majority of which was bodyfat, I anxiously began using steroids to concentrate more on powerlifting rather than bodybuilding. To this day, I still concentrate on my natural strength and mass gains than weight loss (other than bodyfat loss). Basically, I care more about keeping my 20 inch arms than getting a 34 inch waist......LOL.
Several years ago, I was watching wrestling and I remember a sport commentator was interviewing a wrestler (who was never a favorite of mine) named Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. At the end of the interview, the commentator asked Steamboat to end the interview with some advice and Steamboat said, "FEED THE MUSCLE, NOT THE FAT."
So on that note, I extend the advice with this equation:
Protein feeds muscle. Carbs feed energy. However, if you don't use up the energy, it becomes stored energy, which in short is called FAT. So in order to lose that "stored energy", you must use it.
Believe it or not, losing weight is more common sense than diet or exercise. That's not to say that diet and exercise is not needed. I'll explain later. We always see NEW products or machines coming out that promise to help you lose weight. But here's where the common sense comes in. How many people do you know who has lost weight from using their AB MASTER? Hmmmmm!!! How many people do you know who has lost weight and kept it off from using DIET ONE, DIET FAST, or SLIM FAST? I see. Enough said.
I lost 60 pounds in a little over 4 months back in 1996 when I was concentrating on bodybuilding training. Alot of my coworkers, especially the overweight ones, praised me for my efforts and accomplishments. While I accomplished my goal with plenty of diet and exercise, I also used nutritional supplements. But a coworker of mine who was only mildly overweight often asked me, "Do you have something to help you burn bodyfat?" I would reply, "Sure, this right here. Works great." I would show her what I was using and she would ask, "How does it work?" I reply, "Easy, I like to take it before my workouts and it kicks the fats' asset." Then she asked the dumbest question of the century......."You have to exercise to use this?"
#1] COMMON SENSE........If you sat on your butt and gained weight, there is no way in hell for you to sit on your butt to lose weight. What goes up must come down. Not go up more.
So it's easy. In order to lose the weight, you'll have to use more calories and consumer less calories. I know, easier said than done, right? Guess again. Think about this. Let's say you're hungry. How much food does it take for you to be content? Not full or bloated until you have to unbutton your pants. Just content. That's the whole secret to losing weight. Yours truly went through that for years. I would go to your typical fast food restaurant and order everything in extra large just to make sure I have enough food to be full for hours. In a half hour, I'm removing my clothes and slumping down on my sofa or in my bed because I'm too full to move. So, as I once told a coworker of mine, there's a difference between being hungry enough to eat a horse and greedy enough to go to a horse race track to hunt for dinner.
#2] COMMON SENSE: Eat as much as you need, not as much as you can.
Lastly, I'm not saying that you can't eat the things that you like to eat. Just minimize them. You'll be surprised how easy you can change your lifestyle once you've put your mind to it. I used to go to Baskin & Robbins every week for their 2 for $6 special and chow down on both quarts during my 2 days off from work. But I had a taste for ice cream about a month ago and, low and behold, those 2 quarts have been in my freezer eversince......LOL. I think I ate about 3 spoons from one then saved it.
To sum this up, it is more of a lifestyle than anything. Once you find a diet that works for you and an exercise that works for you, STICK WITH IT.
For a real good plan, check out www.bodyforlife.com. It's not my site but it's a plan that I've followed for a while now. No secrets to it, just plain COMMON SENSE.
And in case you're wondering, ......I managed to keep the weight off for about 2 years. But that was because after losing the weight, majority of which was bodyfat, I anxiously began using steroids to concentrate more on powerlifting rather than bodybuilding. To this day, I still concentrate on my natural strength and mass gains than weight loss (other than bodyfat loss). Basically, I care more about keeping my 20 inch arms than getting a 34 inch waist......LOL.