Where do you think this is leading? (diet advice needed)

[ElRay]

This is what I wanted to know. So, bulking up and then doing cardio is the way to go?

You really have to do both. The calories you burn while exercising are trivial. If you assume what you burn is 100% fat (unlikely, most folks don't start burning mostly fat until after 45 mins of exercise), 200 kcal (the big-C food calorie) only about 20 grams. You'll lose most of your weight just existing.

The benefits of the exercise is that your basal metabolism stays higher (you burn more doing nothing), you're less likely to have excess carbs sitting around to be stored as fat and if you're exercising for longer durations (45 mins +), your body will start burning fat sooner.

Since the vast majority of fat burning takes place when not exercising, the more muscle mass you have, the more you'll burn. Plus, it takes energy to build/repair muscle, so you'll burn more doing nothing again.

Another "freebie" is to drink a lot of ice water. Your body will have to expend energy to warm it to body temperature. Plus you get exercise fidgetting trying to finish what you're in the middle of before you head off to the bathroom.

Ray

 

[Drew]

First off, if you're trying to build self-confidence by external factors, you're going about it wrong. Self confidence needs to be because you believe in YOURSELF, not you believe others will find you attractive, etc. So, if this whole diet thing is an attempt to build self-confidence, then I'd say fuck it, it's counterproductive.

The reason most people only work out 3-5 days a week is that most people are not 14 and don't have time. I work late a lot, generally go out with my friends drinking weekend nights, and stay in and hang out with my roommates on Sunday and do laundry and shit. I'm currently out of commision thanks to mono, but on a good week I'll make it out on my bike once or twice during the week nights, and again at least once on the weekend. I'd do more if I could. The only thing you have to worry about is overdoing it and hurting your tendons and muscles and joints. If you're on a healthy workout regime where you're working within your physical limits and giving yourself "recovery" days where you're working out but not pushing hard and more stretching your muscles than anything, you'll do just fine.

Junk food is absolute shit. It's bad for you in every concievable way- empty calories, little nutritional benefit, full of preservatives and processing chemicals, etc. The problem is, a lot of it tastes good. I grew up relatively junk-foood-free, so if I have more than small amounts of junk food or fast food, I feel physically ill. That doesn't stop the occasional KFC or Taco Bell craving, but the thing here is moderation - don't eat very much of it. Instead, look for snacks that are good for you that you also really enjoy - I'd rather have fresh fruit, maybe a peach or some cherries, than a bag of chips or candy (though, again, I'm a sucker for swedish fish). you won't, like, turn into a potato chip and die if you on occasion have some junk food, but if it's more than a small fraction of your nutritional intake, then you've got problems.

Let's go about this from a different tangent - we know what your current diet is. Before you decided to go on a diet, what did you mainly eat? Walk us through a normal day - breakfast, lunch, dinner, all snacks and drinks with, between, and after meals, etc.

 

[El Caco]

First on the topic of food.

Your Mum is correct.

Simply put if you keep eating the way you are you will damage your body and suffer long term medical effects.

Your body needs energy and vitamins and minerals to function correctly when you are training these need to be increased.

You need to eat smaller portions more often to increase your metabolism, when you starve yourself your metabolism will slow down and you will not burn fat, but you will do tissue damage. You also cannot burn fat without the required vitamins and minerals.

You need to eat healthy more often and you will need to take vitamin supplements, also drink plenty of water.

Training.

Most people train ineffectively.

More is not better. Effective training is.

Weight training is the most effective for weight loss.

For weight loss you need to train with heavy weight and not let your heart rate drop for the session, that means no rest time in between sets, you do this with supersets, only do weights every second day, start with an intense 5-10 minute cardio workout, 2 mins medium pace then go as hard as you can as long as you can then slow down to medium until you recover then go as hard as you can continue that process, on your off day you can do this cardio for 15- 20 minutes but no more.

Now the most important part.

REST

When you train you are actually damaging muscle tissue, when you rest your body repairs itself (but only if your diet is sufficient), during this recovery period your body needs energy, so you will actually burn fat while you are resting.

If you eat often enough to keep your metabolism high, your body will continue to burn fat during your recovery period after your training session, however if you go do something silly, like more exercise, you have interrupted this process for no gain.

If you keep eating and training the way you are at the moment, do not expect to live long enough to go through a mid life crisis, expect to be living with limited capacity in the not too distant future and also expect to gain weight not lose it (yeah you will lose weight in the short term, but you will get it back and then some).

Good luck,
Steve.

 

[JJ Rodriguez]

Hmmm...I'm comfortable just running and shit to exercise, but weight training would be something altogether different. I've never done it, so I'd be afraid of hurting myself

 

[Rusty_cooley702]

First off, if you're trying to build self-confidence by external factors, you're going about it wrong. Self confidence needs to be because you believe in YOURSELF, not you believe others will find you attractive, etc. So, if this whole diet thing is an attempt to build self-confidence, then I'd say fuck it, it's counterproductive.

The reason most people only work out 3-5 days a week is that most people are not 14 and don't have time. I work late a lot, generally go out with my friends drinking weekend nights, and stay in and hang out with my roommates on Sunday and do laundry and shit. I'm currently out of commision thanks to mono, but on a good week I'll make it out on my bike once or twice during the week nights, and again at least once on the weekend. I'd do more if I could. The only thing you have to worry about is overdoing it and hurting your tendons and muscles and joints. If you're on a healthy workout regime where you're working within your physical limits and giving yourself "recovery" days where you're working out but not pushing hard and more stretching your muscles than anything, you'll do just fine.

Junk food is absolute shit. It's bad for you in every concievable way- empty calories, little nutritional benefit, full of preservatives and processing chemicals, etc. The problem is, a lot of it tastes good. I grew up relatively junk-foood-free, so if I have more than small amounts of junk food or fast food, I feel physically ill. That doesn't stop the occasional KFC or Taco Bell craving, but the thing here is moderation - don't eat very much of it. Instead, look for snacks that are good for you that you also really enjoy - I'd rather have fresh fruit, maybe a peach or some cherries, than a bag of chips or candy (though, again, I'm a sucker for swedish fish). you won't, like, turn into a potato chip and die if you on occasion have some junk food, but if it's more than a small fraction of your nutritional intake, then you've got problems.

Let's go about this from a different tangent - we know what your current diet is. Before you decided to go on a diet, what did you mainly eat? Walk us through a normal day - breakfast, lunch, dinner, all snacks and drinks with, between, and after meals, etc.

breakfeast_never ate it i havent eaten brkfeast since 6th grd
lunch nvr ate it
dinner-some chicken with like kool aid
i used to eat a lot of snacks i started gaining weight around 5th grd i think
i got taller and dont look as fat as i did in 5th grd
most of my drinks were like kool aid or mabe orange juice
i couldnt resist hot cheetos and those lemon flavored lays chips
iu sed to get an extra burger when i used to go to mc donalds and during summer break i never excercised
i think that the reason i got fat

im trying to eat more
but when i eat anyhing i feel like a little guilty

First on the topic of food.

Your Mum is correct.

Simply put if you keep eating the way you are you will damage your body and suffer long term medical effects.

Your body needs energy and vitamins and minerals to function correctly when you are training these need to be increased.

You need to eat smaller portions more often to increase your metabolism, when you starve yourself your metabolism will slow down and you will not burn fat, but you will do tissue damage. You also cannot burn fat without the required vitamins and minerals.

You need to eat healthy more often and you will need to take vitamin supplements, also drink plenty of water.

Training.

Most people train ineffectively.

More is not better. Effective training is.

Weight training is the most effective for weight loss.

For weight loss you need to train with heavy weight and not let your heart rate drop for the session, that means no rest time in between sets, you do this with supersets, only do weights every second day, start with an intense 5-10 minute cardio workout, 2 mins medium pace then go as hard as you can as long as you can then slow down to medium until you recover then go as hard as you can continue that process, on your off day you can do this cardio for 15- 20 minutes but no more.

Now the most important part.

REST

When you train you are actually damaging muscle tissue, when you rest your body repairs itself (but only if your diet is sufficient), during this recovery period your body needs energy, so you will actually burn fat while you are resting.

If you eat often enough to keep your metabolism high, your body will continue to burn fat during your recovery period after your training session, however if you go do something silly, like more exercise, you have interrupted this process for no gain.

If you keep eating and training the way you are at the moment, do not expect to live long enough to go through a mid life crisis, expect to be living with limited capacity in the not too distant future and also expect to gain weight not lose it (yeah you will lose weight in the short term, but you will get it back and then some).

Good luck,
Steve.

when i started this i was very dizzy everytime i stood up i was gonna fal and my vision was a little blurry i guess thtas why i couldnt handle a lot of excercise

 

[El Caco]

when i started this i was very dizzy everytime i stood up i was gonna fal and my vision was a little blurry i guess thtas why i couldnt handle a lot of excercise

I have developed a special program for you.

Stand up until you feel dizzy, then sit down.
Now pick up a stubbie full of water (if its too heavy try a shot glass)
By now you should be ready to stand up again
Do this until you lose your vision then rest for two days
In a few weeks you should be able to walk to the toilet and up the weight to a longneck.

 

[Jason]

You wanna lose weight? EAT MORE! All your doing by eating less is making yourself fatter. You actually burning MUSCLE not fat. Trust me

 

[darren]

Not to discount any of the advice you've been getting in this thread so far, but if you are looking to start ANY diet/exercise program, the very first thing you need to do is go see your family doctor and explain what you hope to achieve. Your doctor will be able to give advice on how to get there safely and effectively.

But let me just say this:

YOU ARE 14. You should NOT be engaging in any drastic diet or training programs at that age, because your'e right in the middle of your body's biggest cycle of growth and development. You need to let your body do what it needs to do at the right pace.

Your BEST course of action is to: 1) cut out all the chips and sugary drinks... yes, even too much fruit juice can saturate your body with too much sugar; 2) eat at least three balanced, nutritious meals every day, and don't be afraid of a couple of healthy snacks... moderation is the key; and 3) get regular exercise... it doesn't have to be a strenuous workout, especially at your age... walk places instead of taking the bus (or getting a ride) or take your bike... go for a swim... just get off your ass, turn off the TV (or the computer, or the PS3 or the XBox) and get outside. If you got dizzy when you started working out, it was because you were not giving your body the fuel it needed.

I cannot stress how important it is for your physical and mental development to eat breakfast and lunch. Your brain needs fuel in order to effectively learn. The *number one* determining factor in a kid's success in school is getting proper nutrition. If you're starving yourself, your brain will not learn or retain effectively.

From the sounds of things, you already have concerns with your body image and have developed guilt issues around food. That sounds to me like the beginning of an eating disorder, and you should see your doctor ASAP to address the issues that are causing you concern. Once you get on a HEALTHY path with your diet (and by "diet" i mean your healthy food intake, not your crash starvation) and exercise program, you will feel INFINITELY better than you do now.

 

[tehk]

A lot of the guys have provided with thought out responses, and yet you still don't seem to show much initiative into putting those suggestions into action.

You should definitely be concerned about muscle mass - especially since you're a male (in fact, everyone should be concerned about muscle mass.. I don't know why some people aren't). When you cut down, muscle mass is what gives your body shape. If you have very little, you'll look like a stick, plain a simple. Plus, since you're overweight at the moment, once you shrink down, you'll be a stick with flabby loose skin because there's no mass to stretch it out. Yea... not so nice is it.

Just something I found in google. This guy looks rather slim in the first picture, and in the second picture he has a more healthy looking physique. This is thanks to muscle mass.

I'm not accusing you have believing this, but, some people think that if they weight lift for a month or so, they'll look like this. Which is one of the most ridiculous things ever - next to "I gotta put on fat, then convert that fat to muscle".

There are literally millions of diet/exercise routines out there, but they are hidden behind things like "Hip Hop Abs" or "6 Second Abs" or whatever they have nowadays. Getting the body you want WON'T be easy - especially in the condition you are in now. Getting the body you want WILL involve hard work and exercise. The bottom line is, do you want it bad enough to do it?

If so, I suggest you do your research. Not just on diet/exercise, but on nutrition and the science behind building muscle - just so you have a better idea of what you're doing.

P.S. Jay Cutler vs. Ronnie Coleman for Olympia 07', lol. I really hate how the "top" bodybuilders are so massive nowadays. They had a good size in the late 70's early 80's. Granted... they were still massive, but these guys are taking over the edge and over again.

 

[Papa Shank]

breakfeast_never ate it i havent eaten brkfeast since 6th grd
lunch nvr ate it
dinner-some chicken with like kool aid
i used to eat a lot of snacks i started gaining weight around 5th grd i think
i got taller and dont look as fat as i did in 5th grd
most of my drinks were like kool aid or mabe orange juice
i couldnt resist hot cheetos and those lemon flavored lays chips
iu sed to get an extra burger when i used to go to mc donalds and during summer break i never excercised
i think that the reason i got fat

im trying to eat more
but when i eat anyhing i feel like a little guilty



when i started this i was very dizzy everytime i stood up i was gonna fal and my vision was a little blurry i guess thtas why i couldnt handle a lot of excercise

You've got issues mate, being afraid to eat because you feel guilty? Says to me that at some point or over a length of time the idea of being lean was 'driven home' and now it's stuck in your head. One way to get over it is to self-educate on body composition, diet (by diet I mean nutrient intake and timing, not some bullshit "don't eat anything" fad "diet") and exercise regimes.

As a side note you're getting dizzy spells, this is down to low blood sugar and if you continue to carb starve then you'll be in trouble health wise as carbohydrates do more than feed muscle and bodyfat. If for any reason I think for the sake of your overall health you should just eat 4 balanced meals a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper) with fruit and/or nuts and/or vegetables in between if you feel hungry. That with an exercise regime (e.g. 4 days weightlifting w/2 days cardio) will help you overall.

 

[JJ Rodriguez]

You should definitely be concerned about muscle mass - especially since you're a male (in fact, everyone should be concerned about muscle mass.. I don't know why some people aren't). When you cut down, muscle mass is what gives your body shape. If you have very little, you'll look like a stick, plain a simple. Plus, since you're overweight at the moment, once you shrink down, you'll be a stick with flabby loose skin because there's no mass to stretch it out. Yea... not so nice is it.

Well, I'm not concerned about muscle mass because I don't care if I have definition or if I'm just skin and bones...I just don't want to be fat I just decided to jump in this thread because I was wondering about what some of you guys were saying. I'm not overweight by any means, I'm 5 foot 8 or 9 and 160 pounds, but it's not muscle and I have a bit of a gut from when I quit smoking. I'm back smoking again so it's getting a bit better, not that that's a good thing

 

[Drew]

breakfeast_never ate it i havent eaten brkfeast since 6th grd
lunch nvr ate it
dinner-some chicken with like kool aid
i used to eat a lot of snacks i started gaining weight around 5th grd i think
i got taller and dont look as fat as i did in 5th grd
most of my drinks were like kool aid or mabe orange juice
i couldnt resist hot cheetos and those lemon flavored lays chips
iu sed to get an extra burger when i used to go to mc donalds and during summer break i never excercised
i think that the reason i got fat

im trying to eat more
but when i eat anyhing i feel like a little guilty

1.) Listen to Darren. See a doctor if this is a big deal for you.

2.) The fact you started to gain weight right about the time you stopped eating breakfast is, I'm sure, no coincidence. Your body NEEDS breakfast - it provides you energy to get through the day, and kick-starts your metabolism. Even a light breakfast - a lot of the time, I'll grab an english muffin and peanut butter, carbs and protien - is better than nothing. ditto on lunch, starving yourself isn't healthy. Moderate, balanced meals to keep your energy levels up and your metabolism running are.

3.) Like darren said, cut out the sugary drinks. Kool aid is just bad for you, plain and simple. I drink mostly water. Well, mostly water, coffee, or booze, but black coffee might as well be flavorful, caffine-laden water, and I only drink booze at night. I'm also no paradigm of healthy living, exactly.

4.) Avoid McDonalds. It's shit, pure and simple. It's horrid for you, it's low grade meat, it's saturated with, well, saturated fat they fry it in, and it has almost no nutritional value. If you want a burger, go to a proper burger joint. It's more expensive, but it tastes way better and isn't nearly as bad for you. Besides, supporting local economy = win.

5.) Again, for the snacks, snacks themselves are not bad for you but you have to be careful about what you're eating. Lays chips are full of salt and fat. For potato chips, Cape Cod (a new england brand, so maybe not applicable) are about as inoffensive as I've seen - less fatty and not nearly as salty as most, and accordingly they taste much better - but even that's not idea. Again, I recommend fruit for snacks. Good ripe fruit is sweet without being THAT unheallthy, very flavorful, and full of valuable nutrients.

6.) You're probably light headed all the time because you never eat anything.

 

[darren]

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but when you starve yourself, your body goes into a "conservation" mode, where it actually becomes better at converting anything you eat into fat, to store it for later.

You need to get off your starvation diet and see a doctor ASAP.

 

[Naren]

1.) Listen to Darren. See a doctor if this is a big deal for you.

2.) The fact you started to gain weight right about the time you stopped eating breakfast is, I'm sure, no coincidence. Your body NEEDS breakfast - it provides you energy to get through the day, and kick-starts your metabolism. Even a light breakfast - a lot of the time, I'll grab an english muffin and peanut butter, carbs and protien - is better than nothing. ditto on lunch, starving yourself isn't healthy. Moderate, balanced meals to keep your energy levels up and your metabolism running are.

3.) Like darren said, cut out the sugary drinks. Kool aid is just bad for you, plain and simple. I drink mostly water. Well, mostly water, coffee, or booze, but black coffee might as well be flavorful, caffine-laden water, and I only drink booze at night. I'm also no paradigm of healthy living, exactly.

4.) Avoid McDonalds. It's shit, pure and simple. It's horrid for you, it's low grade meat, it's saturated with, well, saturated fat they fry it in, and it has almost no nutritional value. If you want a burger, go to a proper burger joint. It's more expensive, but it tastes way better and isn't nearly as bad for you. Besides, supporting local economy = win.

5.) Again, for the snacks, snacks themselves are not bad for you but you have to be careful about what you're eating. Lays chips are full of salt and fat. For potato chips, Cape Cod (a new england brand, so maybe not applicable) are about as inoffensive as I've seen - less fatty and not nearly as salty as most, and accordingly they taste much better - but even that's not idea. Again, I recommend fruit for snacks. Good ripe fruit is sweet without being THAT unheallthy, very flavorful, and full of valuable nutrients.

6.) You're probably light headed all the time because you never eat anything.

Agreed on all points. +1

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but when you starve yourself, your body goes into a "conservation" mode, where it actually becomes better at converting anything you eat into fat, to store it for later.

You need to get off your starvation diet and see a doctor ASAP.

My mom, who is a dietition, always used to tell me about that, but she called it "starvation mode" instead of "conservation mode." She said "When you don't eat, your body thinks it's starving and begins to store everything you have and convert anything you DO eat into fat, because it thinks that's the best way to survive." It's definitely not a way to lose weight. Now, if you want to lose weight, instead of not eating anything at all, you eat, but you eat HEALTHILY. Instead of choosing between eating nothing or eating a meal consisting of Lays potato chips, Kool Aide, McDonalds hamburgers, corn dogs, and chocolate cake, you should instead eat a meal consisting of something like: water, vegetables, fruit, maybe some quality chicken or beef, and so on.

 

[Rusty_cooley702]

thank you guyz fur all ur help no doctor needed
it was hard to crash diet without getting yelled at by my mom anyways so imma stop
im just gonna eat healthy stuff
even though i hate veggies if i make them soggy itll be easier to eat them because theres less taste

i think im going to lean more towards a body building type thing (lots of protein and stuff like that ) weight lifting ,jogging,crunches/sit ups, push ups

but i still have 1 question are oils (olive oil etc) healthy if I use them in small quantities cause my mom cooks with olive oil

 

[Papa Shank]

Olive oil is good for you, not the best but it still is a good source of fat.

 

[garcia3441]

but i still have 1 question are oils (olive oil etc) healthy if I use them in small quantities cause my mom cooks with olive oil

Olive oil - Better Health Channel.

 

[Rusty_cooley702]

ok thanks
I just wasnt sure if it was fatty

 

[darren]

If you cook your veggies until they're soggy, you're cooking most of the nutrients out of them.

Are you really that clueless, or is this some sort of game?

 

[Rusty_cooley702]

If you cook your veggies until they're soggy, you're cooking most of the nutrients out of them.

Are you really that clueless, or is this some sort of game?

dude im a 14 yr old c student
what can u expect i dont know this shit yet