Thought for the day...

I get this question a lot:

"I'm following your program and it's working great. I feel stronger, tighter, looser, etc. But I'm not losing much weight. What am I doing wrong?"

In almost every case when I check on the person's diet, they are eating far too many carbohydrates (sugar) to allow for their bodies to use body fat as its main source of fuel. And, as the person strength trains, they gain muscle mass and sometimes body weight.

People, if you really want to lose fat, you absolutely MUST get a handle on the total amount of sugar you are consuming on a daily basis. Not just junk food sugar - ALL sugar.

The bottom line is this - if you're getting ready for summer, a wedding, a date or anything that requires fat loss, KEEP AWAY FROM SUGAR except for veggies and some seasonal fruit.

I don't care how hard it is. I know how hard it is.

It is what it is. Feel free to email me for tips. No charge.

Comments

[Vivian Sliva]

I am looking for the DVD for the Slow Burn Exercise. Do you have one and if so how would I find out how to order one and also the price.

[fred hahn]

Core trainer - you should look at more of the research. To suggest as you are that 2000 calories of carbohydrate and 2000 calories of fat and protein are the same is untrue. Fat loss is not a nubers game -it's a hormonal game. And too many carbs throw off hormonal tone. This is why an Atkins/Proetin Power diet always works better than the food pyramid at fat loss and lean gain given the EXACT same amount of calories.

Your exercise intensity dictates nothing. I suggest reading The Protein Power Lifeplan book, The Paleo Diet for Athletes, Real Food and Life Without Bread.

Best,
Fred

[thecoretrainer]

When it comes to weightloss, calories are king. and a calorie is a calorie, which is the amount of heat needed to raise 1 gram of water 1 degree celsius. it doesn't matter where that calorie came from, be it CHO, protein, or fat. your exercise intensity and duration will dictate which sources those calories come from. As your body digests food it is broken down into the three main substrates , CHO, Protein, and fat. As the body requires energy depending on the activity intensity and duration, the substrate is then broken down ultimately to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) which is the functional form of energy the body uses. Anyone who wants to lose weight must pay attention to energy balance and create a situation where they are burning more total calories than they are consuming on a regular basis. Quality of those calories is important in order to keep the body functioning properly and keep the weight off.

[Sean P]

MrFreddy,
That's what Fred was talking about. On the surface, your carb amount looks good, but hidden carbs (or carb-like sources) add up. You are right: scotch and wine have relatively few, if any, carbs. Alcohol is it's own macronutrient though (with 7 calories per gram, 3 more than carbs), and in the end raises blood sugar just like starch and sugar would. It's tricky to really identify all the sources.

[mrfreddy]

I agree that the booze doesnt help, and could the main culprit.. one of these days I'm gonna get serious and cut it out altogether, for a little while... if for no other reason to see what happens.

but unless I am mistaken, a glass of wine only has a few grams of carbs, scotch has zero, beer is another story..

that said, I rarely approach 60 g. carbs a day, except when I drink a few beers, and would normally only be on the weekends. the only other carbs I get are from the half and half in my coffee, the brocoli/spinach/green beans, etc. I normally eat, and a very small amount of fruit. Not counting the booze, that's about 20 - 30 a day.

[Viking Dan]

I'm with mrfreddy on this one. The reason I gravitate towards low carb diets is because it blunts hunger so that I can keep my calories reasonable without going insane.

Not that Fred's advice isn't excellent. Just that its only one part of the equation.

[fred hahn]

Mrfreddy I believe that if after you have TRULY gotten your carb intake down to below 60 grams per day and kept it there for several months you'd think differently about calories. 2 glasses of wine blows it. Most people who claim to be doing a low carb diet and doing it well are well over the 60 gram mark and usually eating double this amount. While still low carb compared to the typical American diet, it just ain't low enough. Eat under 60 grams of carbs and you can eat almost as much as you want otherwise. Getting under 60 is rugged however and most people forget the milk in their coffee, the sugar sauces on their foods, the beer and wine they drink, etc.

[mrfreddy]

I've been low carbing almost five years (and doing slow burn for a bit less than a year) and I've found that if I want to lose that last 10 to 15 pounds - I absolutely have to watch the calories as well as the carbs...

I've managed to lose a few recently by trying to eat smaller portions, it would help too I suppose if I cut out the scotch, beer, wine...

From what I gather from my own experience and from reading various low carb fourms, it seems that yes, you can lose weight via low carb without worrying about calories, but only up to a certain point. Beyond that, when you get down to the last ten or 15 unsightly pounds of flab, you really do need to zero in on how much you are eating in addition to what you are eating.

[fred hahn]

Cindy - a good post exercise meal is protein/fat with a salad or fruit. If you eat plenty of protein (with fat) your body (liver) can convert protein into sugar. We can only store ~2000 cals as sugar anyway (depending on our size) so any excess sugar is just converted into fat. No need to carb load. No way.

R. Francis - Glad you're feeling the potency and gentleness of Slow Burn. If you need assistance, just ask.

Viking Dan - Actually calories are not king. A calories is not just a calorie. Don't fall prey to the ADA/AHA crap. It's wrong. 3000 calories of twinkies and soda pop and 3000 calories of grass-fed beef and organic avocados are NOT at all the same to your body. Fat loss and health is NOT a numbers game - it's a hormonal game. And a game that requires full understanding of the rules. It's why I created the blog in the first place. To help people to become armed with the proper weapons and ammo needed to combat conventional nonsense.

Thank you all very much for commenting. I'm here to help as best I can.

[Viking Dan]

Avoiding sugar is important, but having a handle on calories is king.

[R. Francis Smith]

And that goes quintuple for us diabetics, which should go without saying, but sadly does not, thank you ADA.

On a more general note, I've been slow lifting for a couple of weeks and started the specifics of Slow Burn today. I have never been so profoundly TIRED after weight lifting (particularly after only 10 minutes of actual lifting!) -- but with no pain whatsoever. Simply awesome. Looking forward to the results down the line.

[Cindy Moore]

I agree 100% with what you're saying!!!

Now....what do you feel is appropriate for intake before and after working out? I hear over and over that you should eat carbs after workouts, but just can't see the sense in it!