This is going to get a bit more complex than the basic version. If you have not read that, then click here.
Moving On...
Fad Diets and Why They DO NOT Work - They are fads. Just like clothing, music, and hairstyles they will have their time and pass. There is, however, a little bit of science and research behind each of them that it blown up through media propaganda and celebrity endorsement. Ever wonder why so many people go and so many different diets, or why there is a new magic diet ever year, or why you've tried 4 diets in the last year then proceed to loose weight and gain it all back? This is because you are following fads, DON'T DO IT. There is no "magic" diet or food that is the solution to everyone's weight related problems.
Lifestyle and Commitment - Have you ever wondered why losing weight and keeping weight off seem to be two very different things? That is because losing weight requires a lifestyle change. Going on a super-strict diet will yield results but will also probably leave you wondering why you gained all the weight back 6 months later. Unless you are trying to meet the weight limit for a specific athletic competition, you need to be in this "fitness thing" for the long haul or you're not really in it at all. If losing weight and staying in shape were easy then there would not be the weight problem in this country that there is. It is going to take time, effort, and commitment.
Everyone is different - You have to keep in mind that there are many different ways to loose weight, and they all center around calorie restriction of some sort (more on that later). But, what works for your best friend may not work at all for you. There are three different body-structure types and countless combination of genetic traits that could affect your ability to loose weight. However, there are few scientific certainties that you can rely upon and mold a diet to suit your own needs.
Calorie Restriction is NOT Enough - In the most crude fashion all you need to do to loose weight is burn more calories than you eat. That is not the entire story though. If you are depriving your body of nutrients that it needs then you are actually causing more harm to your body than good even if you are at a "more healthy" weight. Ironically Americans are the most OVERfed and UNDERnurished people on the planet. This is because not only do we eat too much, most of it is processed CRAP lacking nutritional value. "You are what you eat." I have a friend who is a personal trainer and professional MMA fighter and he put it the best; "If you all you eat is butter then that is what you'll look like, do you want to go from 200lbs to 150lbs of butter or turn into 200lbs of lean steak?" If you want to perform at you highest capability there is no way to outwork a shitty diet.
What's Next...
Three Body Structures - There are 3 basic body structures. Ectomorphs are people who are naturally skinny and seem to eat endlessly and never gain any weight. Mesomorphs are people who have a naturally muscular build. Endomorphs have a "softer" and heavier build.
Healthy Weight Loss/Gain - As a general rule, if you plan to keep weight off/on (depending on your fitness goals, yes, some people do want to gain weight) you should only aim for a consistent +/- 2lbs per week. This is a good and plenty aggressive example but is by no means the standard. Set a goal weight and due date with this information as a guideline. If you want to loose 10 lbs you should have a deadline of NO SOONER than 5 weeks from the day you start. Remember, the more aggressive you are in your dieting, the faster the weight will come off AND the more difficult it will be to keep it off. It is much better to aim conservatively and then accelerate then to start too aggressive and have to take steps backwards.
Numbers - It takes a calorie deficit of 3,500 calories to loose 1lb of body weight (this is not including means of dehydration to loose weight). If you want to loose/gain 10lbs then you need a calorie deficit/surplus of 35,000 calories in your diet over the course of your given time frame. 35,000 calories over the course of 5 weeks would be 7,000 calories per week, or 1,000 calories per day. If there is a calorie deficit of 1,000 calories per day then in 5 weeks if you have been strict (and honest) then you should have lost about 10lbs of solid body weight. This is, of course, a VERY aggressive example.
More Numbers - As mentioned earlier caloric restriction is not enough to make a "good" diet. You need to have balance and make sure you are getting your calories from whole grains, lean meats, nuts, fruits, veggies, etc... and not from eating one grease burger and a frozen pizza then simply not eating for the rest of the day. (we'll get back to that in a bit). There are 4 calories per gram of protein, 4 calories per gram of carbohydrates, and 9 calories per gram of fat (You should know this already). This information is paramount throughout your diet.
Size IS Everything - I'm not telling you to keep track of every gram of every calorie you consume (not yet anyway) but the information is very important. Portion control is also very important. Rather than eating three large meals per day as prescribed by social norms, it is much more metabolically effective to eat 5 - 7 SMALL meals per day. What this does is increase your metabolism which is (basically) the rate that your body consumes and uses energy. If you eat one huge meal per day then your body will do two things: 1st - it will store most of the calories you've just eaten because you do not need that much energy right away, and we all know what "stored energy" is - FAT; 2nd - Later, when you've not eaten for many many hours your body will think it is starving and rather than burn up the previously stored energy it will actually SLOW DOWN the rate that it burns the fat because it does not know when it will be fed next. This same information is also true when restricting calories too far in order to loose weight too quickly. Your body will actually start to shut down because it think it is dying when you are not feeding it. For example, most anorexics who die as a result of the disease die from heart failure. This is because your body will slowly shut down with the vital organs being last if you are (essentially or literally) starving it to death. Inversely if you eat several smaller meals then your metabolism will speed up.
What Should These Meals Contain - Refer to the Basic Version for this information. Common sense applies. The calories should be fairly evenly spread out with the following guides (not absolutes) in place: You need carbs for energy so before/after you exercise and/or early in the morning, you need protein to recover so after you exercise and before you go to bed, and fat should never be consumed in large quantities if possible. You need the most energy first thing in the morning and before you work out, and the least energy (your last meal should be) a few yours before bed). If you are feeling lethargic try eating a few more carbohydrates or fast acting carbs (yes, maybe even something sugary) after you work out. If you are having a sweet tooth then that is usually a sign that you need a bit more fat in your diet, if your feeling weak or sore long after your exercise, add protein to your diet. Protein should be around 1-2 grams per pound of body weight depending on your needs or heath restrictions. CONSULT A PHYSICIAN BEFORE BEGINNING ANY DIET!
Still More Numbers - One serving of carbs is 15 grams, one serving of protein is 7 grams, and one serving of fat is 5 grams. You can use this information in coalition with a food pyramid get a good idea of where to start with your diet. It is also important to note that you will want to ease into your daily calorie deficit. The numbers in the example provided earlier stated that you would need to have an AVERAGE daily caloric deficit of 1,000 calories. You may want to ease into your deficit for the first few weeks but then remember that to maintain the average you will need to pick up the slack and have a deficit greater than the average in the later weeks.
Back to the Lifestyle - The goal here is weight loss/gain. Unless you have a competition coming up it is not necessary to weigh yourself any more than once per week. That is to give you a good read (as there are too many variables that may affect your day to day weight) and make sure that you're not obsessing over your weight or a few 10ths of a pound or something ridiculous like that. If you want to be in this for the long haul, then 3/10ths of a pound over the course of a week are not going to make much difference. If you want to keep the weight off, you need to pick a pace that you can maintain for as long as you want to keep it off!
On Cheating and Cheat-Meals - There has been much controversy over whether cheat meals should be allowed or not in dieting. The mixed reviews are just and in my opinion your view on "cheating" should (like all things in dieting and fitness) be based upon the goals you want to achieve. If you are training for a specific event like a boxing match, bodybuilding competition, strong man competition, or something that is not going to occur on a frequent (more than once a month) basis then you should not cheat on your diet as you are in the most harsh part of your training and can train/diet more fiercely since your are only planning to keep the weight off / muscle on for a brief time. However, if you are dieting for life, then you (during the long haul) need to keep your sanity in place! If this means cheating and eating whatever the hell you want once per week then DO IT! Like I said, if you're in this for the long haul, you should not be concerned with your day-to-day weight. That buffet you gorged on last month will "come out in the wash" if your are properly dieting long enough.
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